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English in America: Should it be the Official Language?

            A couple of years ago, I went to the grocery store with my uncle. After shopping around for whatever it was we were looking for, we ended up waiting in an unbearably long line because the store was so crowded. We found ourselves behind a middle-aged white man in front of us with a Hispanic mother with about five small children in front of him. The young girl at the register had just finished ringing up the woman's items and was trying to tell her the total and ask her payment method. The cashier was being very patient at first and spoke slowly and repeated herself a few times. But, the Hispanic mother was getting frustrated and began to yell at the girl in Spanish.
             Both of them began yelling at each other and the manager of the store came over. The manager did not speak Spanish either. The man in front of us had had enough of this. He started screaming at the cashier and her manager and told them that it couldn't kill them to learn some Spanish and there was no place in the job market for ignorant people who cannot speak both languages. He turned to talk to the Hispanic woman when my uncle snapped. He started yelling at the guy and told him that we were in America and English is spoken here and there should be no reason to speak anything else while you are in this country. Is that how America should be? Should America have one uniform language throughout the nation in order to unify its people and avoid conflicts like this one? Or does having a single language in the country defy the basic principles of freedom on which it was built?.
             It used to be said that America was a melting pot. Many people from many different countries came here to make America what it is today. "Our national motto is E pluribus unum-out of many, one. Immigrants of many nationalities built our nation, but the melting pot' melded us into one people- (U.S. English 10).
             When this country was first built, it was uncertain what language was to be spoken here.


Essays Related to English in America: Should it be the Official Language?

1. English as the official language of the United States

... place if the amendment to make English the official language is passed. In my opinion making English the official language of the United States is not a bold move for America and its people. It singles out the English language giving it more dominance and therefore making it seem superior. It projects an image that states only English is necessary, essential and has more power. By disregarding all the other languages you are casting them to seem mediocre. Passing English as the official language will up ... ? Instead of clinching on to the proposal of a single language, we should embrace...

  • Word Count: 464
  • Approx Pages: 2
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2. Official Language for America

... . So it seems other cultures seem to understand this concept and are not opposed but in America, the "melting pot of the world", no one wants to melt into one culture and unite under one language. We are a culturally diverse country with a number of languages spoken in this country. So because of this diversity our government should provide official documents and services in different languages so we can continue to be ... do not. By designating English as the official language, we would be sending the message of the importance of learning English so that they may participate in our gove...

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3. English as the Offiial Language: Why Not?

... ? Several prominent Americans feel very strongly about making English the official language of the United 4 States, a few people who have strong feelings about this issue are quoted below: " A country has to have only one official language, if men are to understand one another... it is eminently fair that a country's official language should be the language of the majority."" (Ayn Rand) Another popular quote in support of making English the official language for America is from Theodore Roosevelt, announced - A We have but ... one flag. We must also learn one language and that language i...

  • Word Count: 1022
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4. English as the Global Lingua Franca

... no discernible coercion, I believe that English should become the global lingua franca. Thanks to globalization, the need for some world-wide lingua franca is more pressing than it ever was in the past. With the internationalisation of higher education, it's only a matter of time before one language emerges as the dominant language of research and instruction. After World War 2, the military, economic, scientific and technological supremacy of America became apparent. During this time, American ... , official dialogue is produced in English first, then translated. We are in need of an in...

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5. This Is America

... taken against it. Immigration, in fact, has many positive influences upon this great nation. With the positive effects on this country also come the harmful effects. If America wants to continue to live harmoniously with the multitude of different cultures, ! the first step would be to make English the official language of the United States of America. Today, 1.9 billion people speak the English language; more than one-third of humanity (U.S. Bureau of the Census). English is also the national language of ... of patriotism by the majority of Americans. However, the dust had barely settl...

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6. English as the Official Language of the United States

... discrimination and separatism between Americans and immigrants. Official or not, we can surely agree that English is a common language in the United States, and probably will never be jeopardized by any other language.. Lingual and ethnic diversity is something that America should be proud of and it should benefit from that variety. English-only supporters think that having English as the official language of the United States will keep all people in better communication. I think that is contradictory, and ... it does not make sense. It is true that knowing English is very important ......

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7. Language

Should English be the official language? This is a very controversial topic today. Is it ridiculous that one can take a drivers license test in multiple foreign languages? Should bilingual programs in our schools be stopped? Should linguistic ghettos exist and how do they affect America. All these questions are very important and currently top priority of English as well as English first. This topic raises pros and cons from both native Americans and immigrants who are recently ... became citizens of this new land. In my opinion, I agree that English should be the official language of America...

  • Word Count: 526
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8. English Only Movement

... native language. Instead of the U.S. English trying to force citizens to make English the official language they should embrace different cultures. The United States of America is a melting pot that is made up of many different people and cultures. It is important for foreigners to stay in touch with their cultures and feel free to speak their native language. To make citizens conform to speaking a language that may not be their mother tongue is outlandish. It should be ... one's own decision whether or not they want to learn English. The decision to try and make English the official la...

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9. English As America's Official Language

... powers of the world doesn't even have an official language. Believe it or not, this nation is the United States of America. With the United States being in the top five for population, and the large cultural and ethnic diversity that America is facing, I believe that there should be one language for all the citizens in a limited manner. This will enhance people's lifestyles and simplify legal matters a great deal. I believe that the passage of English as the official language will help ... to expand opportunities for immigrants to learn and speak English, the single greatest tool that i...

  • Word Count: 1078
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10. Only in america

... language, this is a mistake as we should not have to be nice to people that jumped a fence to get here and want freedom and have the audacity to want us to learn their language to make it easy for them. 92% of the world's countries have at least one official language according to U.S English Inc.(ENGINC. 1) In 31 nations English is the official language then why is it in the country that started it all we have no official language. When America ... was in its infant ... ...

  • Word Count: 990
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

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