Should English Be The National Language of USA?

[Mushroom]

All business with the government be conducted in English. You want to go with that? How many languages are voting materials in?

That is not "businesses conducted".

 

[initforme]

I couldn't CARE LESS what language is picked. Don't give one rats butt.

 

[whitehall]

Nationalism? I thought the concept was outlawed when Brandon was elected.

 

[Unkotare]

.... It's too late for me to learn a new language, ...

No it's not.

 

[Unkotare]

.... If you hear someone speaking a language you don't understand, you immediately wonder what they are talking about and if maybe they are saying something "behind your back". ....

Among busy-bodies and insecure little pussies.

 

[Unkotare]

.... For many, many years, basic English competency was a requirement for acquiring citizenship. ....

It still is.

 

[Unkotare]

It used to be. But now it is not required at all. ....

Wrong.

 

[Unkotare]

Far, far from the truth. And it's not just my observation, but my mother (who spoke only French when she immigrated to this country) also told me about this phenomenon. It is a human trait: if you can't understand someone who speaks a different language, you will automatically feel "left out" of the conversation. This manifests itself in many ways, depending on the observing person's internal frame of mind. Some feel the non-native speaker is somehow diminished and inferior. Some feel paranoid "Are they talking about me behind my back?" Some just feel frustrated in not being able to close a deal that normally would not take any effort if the other person only spoke their language.
...

You sure seem to have a lot of issues.

 

[surada]

It's the official language, and official is national enough for me.

Naturalized US citizens.

8 U.S. Code § 1427 - Requirements of naturalization

www.law.cornell.edu

 

[Unkotare]

There are many beautiful languages in the world. I always have a good amount of respect when I hear another language besides English being spoken. The second most common language in this country, Spanish, has many qualities that are intriguing and poetic, although many English speaking people find the language to be superfluous. I've heard some Spanish speaking people go on for minutes describing something that would take one sentence in English

Nowhere in the Constitution is there anything about English being a national language. If you do a search on this topic, the results seem to have been very much skewed in favor of NOT declaring English as the official language in the USA. This is a big change from what I've perceived in the years before internet search engines. I wonder if these results are being skewed by big tech companies (operated mostly by non-American, non-English speakers) and those with deep pockets who sell language teaching services.

The truth is that having multiple languages can cause dis-trust among the citizens. It's human nature: If you hear someone speaking a language you don't understand, you immediately wonder what they are talking about and if maybe they are saying something "behind your back". This is one of the biggest reasons in favor of a single national language. For many, many years, basic English competency was a requirement for acquiring citizenship. My mother came to this country not knowing a word of English (only French), but she explained that she did not regret for a moment the fact that she was required to learn English in school.

Why shouldn't the USA declare English the national language and require basic competency among its citizens? People are free to speak anything they want at home or even in the workplace, that should be a fact. But doesn't it make sense to require a common language to foster better communication?

Some people are so damn insecure about hearing a language they don't understand.

 

[Samofvt]

Some people are so damn insecure about hearing a language they don't understand.

C'est exactement mon propos.

Pourquoi les affaires ne devraient-elles pas être menées dans une langue commune de toute façon ?

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

Yes it should.

And in order to become a citizen, you MUST know how to speak, understand, read, and write ENGLISH!!

 

[Unkotare]

Yes it should.

And in order to become a citizen, you MUST know how to speak, understand, read, and write ENGLISH!!

To a very limited degree, and NO American is required to speak English to BE a citizen.

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

To a very limited degree, and NO American is required to speak English to BE a citizen.

My French teacher in high school travelled the world during summer breaks.

She told us tons of stuff about what you can and cant do and say in other countries. She was awesome.

She said almost ALL European countries will look down on visitors if they can't even bother to learn enough of their language to read a street sign or order in a restaurant.

So, thats where I hold my sights right now.

 

[Unkotare]

My French teacher in high school travelled the world during summer breaks.

She told us tons of stuff about what you can and cant do and say in other countries. She was awesome.

She said almost ALL European countries will look down on visitors if they can't even bother to learn enough of their language to read a street sign or order in a restaurant.

So, thats where I hold my sights right now.

Hmmmmm.....your French teacher traveled. How about you?

 

[braalian]

C'est exactement mon propos.

Pourquoi les affaires ne devraient-elles pas être menées dans une langue commune de toute façon ?

C’est déjà fait. La langue commune des affaires c’est anglais

 

[Mushroom]

To a very limited degree, and NO American is required to speak English to BE a citizen.

But all immigrants must pass a basic English comprehension test before they can become a citizen.

 

[Unkotare]

But all immigrants must pass a basic English comprehension test before they can become a citizen.

To a very limited degree, and for a few minutes and never again.

 

[Samofvt]

C’est déjà fait. La langue commune des affaires c’est anglais

Nunca has estado en East Boston y has intentado pedir una hamburguesa con queso, ¿verdad? ¿Eso es negocio o no?

 

[Samofvt]

But all immigrants must pass a basic English comprehension test before they can become a citizen.

Нет, они не. Мой сосед, хороший человек, сказал, что ему дали переводчика, когда он сдавал экзамен на гражданство. От него не требовалось «присягать на верность» нашему флагу. Он русский из Молдавии.

[Net, oni ne. Moy sosed, khoroshiy chelovek, skazal, chto yemu dali perevodchika, kogda on sdaval ekzamen na grazhdanstvo. Ot nego ne trebovalos' «prisyagat' na vernost'» nashemu flagu. On russkiy iz Moldavii.]