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Official Language for America

            Official Language for the United States.
             The United States of America has been coined as the "melting pot of the world." America has attracted people from almost every other country in the world and is a place where you can find almost any culture. A major component of culture that people keep with them is their language. There are more than 329 languages spoken in the United States ranging from Spanish to Chinese. With all those different languages spoken in the US the government has become multilingual meaning we provide government documents and services in an assortment of languages. As such the US is one of the few countries without an official language, although most assume that it is English since we are predominantly an English speaking country. .
             The question of an official language is not an argument in most other countries because they do not have the mix of cultures that we do. Ninety-two percent of the world's countries have at least one official language; therefore most countries in the world do not have a multilingual government because they are united under one language. They do not accommodate for immigrants who speak different languages by providing official documents or ballots or other government services in an assortment of languages. The immigrants are expected to assimilate to their culture in part by learning the language of the given country so that they are active, productive citizens. Some of the countries that do have an official language(s) are Denmark, Canada, Algeria, etc. 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 a multilingual government? A multilingual government plays a large part in contributing to the separation of cultures which causes racial and ethnic conflicts to continue and grow.


Essays Related to Official Language for America

1. English as the official language of the United States

... subjects have one thing in common. They will all take 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 ... be focusing on ways to i...

  • Word Count: 464
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

2. This Is America

... in America say that declaring one national language will exterminate the pride people have for their natural country. They say that pride is directly related to a person's culture and a person's language; thus creating a national language will reduce their national pride. This is definitely not the case. If anything, the effects on America's national pride have been affected the most. Since there is no official language, Americans ... feel the need to alter their patriotic actions so as not to offend people of different ethnic backgrounds. The issue moves directly from a multilingual is...

  • Word Count: 1342
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

3. English as the Offiial Language: Why Not?

America is known for several symbolic bonds since its infancy, such as; Old Glory, the bald eagle, the Star Spangled Banner and the Declaration of Independence. Let's make English the next tradition. People in favor of making English the official language, such as U.S. Senator S.I. Hayakawa, argue that it will unite Americans, there would be fewer racial conflicts and government operations ... 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 t...

  • Word Count: 1022
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. English as the Official Language of the United States

... has exceeded 65 percent in some opinion pools.1 English-only is no longer a fringe movement. There are many different opinions about whether English should be the official language of the United States of America. U.S. ENGLISH and ENGLISH FIRST, two national groups spearheading this legislation, started small in the mid-1980s. Drawing support mainly from direct-mail contributions, they have ... for higher 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 je...

  • Word Count: 2384
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Grade Level: High School

5. The History of Bilingual Education in America

... traditionally been referred to as a "melting pot." This symbolism makes reference to the fact that America is a nation composed of many diverse ethnic groups. In fact, it is likely that every group ... African country has hundreds of ethnic groups speaking different languages. Consequently, English has been declared the official language in order to avoid any seeming preference for one group over another. More often, declaring an official language in other countries has been an attempt to restrict a minority group or to assert a newly formed ... there have been a limited number of reque...

  • Word Count: 1506
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography

6. Language Concepts and Ideologies

... defined by Linguistic Society of America (2007) as the way in which linguistic and language differences between different individuals is dealt within a political context. The manifestation of this can be in the form of treatment of language under official capacities and recognition by the government. Examples of this might include language recognition as the official language that make it a mandatory for all government official documents to be published in ... the generally accepted official language in a nation or region. These might include among other things, government gazette notic...

  • Word Count: 1334
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Language Families

... of people in northern Japan. In the Middle East the principal language family is the Semitic. The largest group included is Arabic that is the liturgical language of Islam. Other Semitic languages are Hebrew and Amharic. The latter is the official language of Ethiopia, spoken by Coptic Christians and Hebrew is basically the language of the Old Testament. Semitic languages take this name from Shem ... live in the general area of Austronesian languages; however, none of their languages are Austronesian, some linguists classify the Hyperborean languages of northern Siberia with the Eskimo ...

  • Word Count: 1183
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. English As America's Official Language

... of the highest 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 ... variety of languages...

  • Word Count: 1078
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Welcome to America!

... Hawaii, the two newest states. Dozens of major cities cover the land from coast-to-coast. Washington, D.C., the capital, reflects the incredible history of America, and stands as a proud symbol of its freedom, liberty, and justice for all. 3. SOCIAL STRUCTURE 3.1. Population According to the US Census Bureau's population clock, the US population on 1 January 2013 was 315,183,801. High ... , but not all US states have English as their official language. Hawaii is the only US state to have two official languages - English and Hawaiian. 5. RELIGION The United States Constitution enshrines th...

  • Word Count: 2276
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

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