English As America’s Official Language

4 Pages 1078 Words

English As America’s Official Language


It’s hard to imagine that one 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 English, the single greatest tool that immigrants must have to succeed.
At the time of the nation's founding, it was commonplace to hear as many as 20 languages spoken in daily life, including Dutch, French, German and numerous Native American languages. Even the Articles of Confederation were printed in German, as well as English. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the nation's linguistic diversity grew as successive waves of Europeans immigrated to these shores and U.S. territory expanded to include Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines. The debate over establishing a national language dates back to the country's beginnings. John Adams proposed to the Continental Congress in 1780 that an official academy be created to "purify, develop, and dictate usage of," English. His proposal, however, was rejected. It’s hard to say which language should be the dominant one in our country. With the wide variety of languages spoken in America, there definitely should be one language for the entire country. I think that this language should be based on the great people who fought for our country’s freedom and be made English.
In the early 1980s, again during a period of concern about new immigration, a movement arose that seeks the establishment of English as the nation's official language. The...