Nation language being English?

I support that because a common language unifies and makes a country much more stronger. Too many languages tear a country apart and does not help anything, in time, money and efforts that are wasted that could have gone to just speaking , reading and writing English just like we use ASL. Same idea. I am glad to see that English will be made an official language. Many countries have one official language. If you want to learn a 2nd language then do it on your own time and get to know people better for example I am German-American then it is only natural that I learn German before I go visit Germany and enjoy my time in Germany or have a work visa to go work in Germany and study in one of Germany's universities.
 
I think IF it provides an incentive for immigrants to learn English, and is accompanied by a strong education initiative so they have the resources to do so, it could help. However, if it turns into anything that is EVER used to forbid them from speaking and learning their native language as well, or anything discriminatory, then it would not be a good thing at all.
 
I pretty much agree with Rose I.
 
Heath said:
I support that because a common language unifies and makes a country much more stronger. Too many languages tear a country apart and does not help anything, in time, money and efforts that are wasted that could have gone to just speaking , reading and writing English just like we use ASL. Same idea. I am glad to see that English will be made an official language. Many countries have one official language. If you want to learn a 2nd language then do it on your own time and get to know people better for example I am German-American then it is only natural that I learn German before I go visit Germany and enjoy my time in Germany or have a work visa to go work in Germany and study in one of Germany's universities.
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English, not American, is the language used in business and at the United Nations. I would support this measure. If international students are over here studying in our universities and colleges, they should speak what we speak 100 percent of the time. What they do in private is their own business.
 
pek1 said:
English, not American, is the language used in business and at the United Nations. I would support this measure. If international students are over here studying in our universities and colleges, they should speak what we speak 100 percent of the time. What they do in private is their own business.
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I would think speaking English at an American university would be necessary just for survival in one's classes...
 
I fear that making "English" the nation's language would mean that ASL would be forced aside and all deaf people would be forced to become oral deaf. That's why making one language the official language of the U.S. is stupid.
 
Dennis said:
I fear that making "English" the nation's language would mean that ASL would be forced aside and all deaf people would be forced to become oral deaf. That's why making one language the official language of the U.S. is stupid.
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The article stated, "The provision makes exceptions for any language assistance already guaranteed by law, such as bilingual ballots required under the Voting Rights Act or court interpreters." That should include ADA rights. Also, ASL signing Deaf can read and write English, even if they don't speak it.

I haven't read the exact wording of the bill yet, so I need to check it out for those provisions.
 
Reba said:
The article stated, "The provision makes exceptions for any language assistance already guaranteed by law, such as bilingual ballots required under the Voting Rights Act or court interpreters." That should include ADA rights. Also, ASL signing Deaf can read and write English, even if they don't speak it.

I haven't read the exact wording of the bill yet, so I need to check it out for those provisions.
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1) How would ASL be taught? How would deaf people learn ASL? Even if they are guaranteed interpreters, it means nothing if they cannot be taught the ABCs and the correct signs for ASL.


The perspective is like teaching how to speak Spanish while reading and writing English. Learning ASL is really is a bi-lingual education, which this bill will prevent.

2) Sure, deaf people can read or write English, but without being taught ASL, they are limited to being orally deaf.

3) What would happen to schools for the deaf? Would it become "illegal" to teach classrooms wholly in sign? Again, you can have interpreters as guaranteed by ADA or whatever, but how will you LEARN THE LANGUAGE? People don't magically know ASL just because they're deaf.
 
Dennis said:
I fear that making "English" the nation's language would mean that ASL would be forced aside and all deaf people would be forced to become oral deaf. That's why making one language the official language of the U.S. is stupid.
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English isn't pushing ASL aside. There's always SEE. :)
 
Reba said:
I pretty much agree with Rose I.
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So do I. I'm torn about this. On the one hand, our country is English speaking. Those that come here should learn and speak our language. However, our country is also made up of a "melting pot" of different people from different countries. Therefore, that should be recognized.
 
I honestly don't think anybody would be stupid enough to write a law that would affect ASL. I have a feeling that if we could see ALL of the legal language, that would be spelled out very clearly. And if not, I have a feeling the bill would be revised before it ever cleared Congress.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
So do I. I'm torn about this. On the one hand, our country is English speaking. Those that come here should learn and speak our language. However, our country is also made up of a "melting pot" of different people from different countries. Therefore, that should be recognized.
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I think because our country is a nation of peoples from so many different cultures and languages that we do need to have a common language to bring us together. It would be hard to get anything done if for every 100 Americans, they were using 12 different languages (as an example). People can speak/sign whatever they want in their own homes, or socializing within their group but for daily commerce, education, and civic duties, we all need to be on the same page.
 
Dennis said:
... Learning ASL is really is a bi-lingual education, which this bill will prevent.
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Will it? I don't know. I haven't read that. I need to investigate that.
 
This is interesting:

Official language status
The United States does not have an official language; nevertheless, American English (referred to in the US as simply English) is the language used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, federal court rulings, and all other official pronouncements. Additionally, one must demonstrate an ability to read, write, and speak English to become a naturalized citizen. Many individual states and territories have also adopted English as their official language:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming

Several states and territories are officially bilingual:

Louisiana (English and French),
Hawaii (Hawaiian English and Hawaiian),
Puerto Rico (Spanish and English),
Guam (Chamorro and English),
American Samoa (Samoan and English);

And one is officially trilingual:

Northern Mariana Islands (English, Chamorro, and Carolinian).

Until the 1950s, Pennsylvania was officially bilingual in English and German.

Native American languages are official or co-official on many of the US Indian reservations and pueblos. The New Mexico government uses English and Spanish, although it is not officially bilingual.

In 2000, the census bureau printed the standard census questionnaires in six languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese (in traditional characters), Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
 
This is also interesting (with my emphasis in bold):

"The only Republican to vote solely for Salazar's 'common and unifying' language option was Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico, whose home state's constitution prohibits discrimination on basis of inability to speak, read or write English or Spanish."
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1980874
 
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