English as an Official Language
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- Category: English: Creative Writing
- Date Submitted: 04/05/2016 02:25 PM
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English as an Official Language for the United States
It is well known that the United States is the melting pot when it comes to immigration. At least 320 different languages are spoken in the U.S. according to the 2000 census (Smith, 2011); however, there is no official U.S. language (Brice, 2013). Should there be an official language in the U.S.? If so, what language should be set as the official language? ENGLISH SHOULD BE SET AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FOR THE U.S.
Financial Implications
Setting English as the official U.S. language, there would be a huge financial savings. Because the U.S. currently has no official language, our government is required to accommodate for non-English speaking residents (Brice, 2013). These accommodations come as a huge cost to the U.S. The increasing number of Hispanic immigrants arriving in the U.S. has increased the presence and penetration of Spanish and other languages in daily conversation, and even in official documents and advertising (Smith, 2011). It is estimated that the U.S. taxpayers pay billions of dollars a year printing multiple languages on everything from ballots, to legal documents, to hiring bilingual personnel in every government office, just to cater to non-English speaking migrants. If the U.S. set English as the official language, the U.S. would save billions annually in direct and indirect costs.
Educational Implications
Another area that would benefit from setting an official language is in the educational field. Foreign languages, especially Spanish, are more prevalent in our society. Our school systems have had to adapt and accommodate this increase. Our school systems have had to find special interpreters, develop bilingual education core studies, create special bilingual tests and exams and, in some cases, develop special learning programs for those who cannot speak English. Florida recognized a fatal problem. Florida has seen a 20% failure rate on the Florida Comprehensive...
It is well known that the United States is the melting pot when it comes to immigration. At least 320 different languages are spoken in the U.S. according to the 2000 census (Smith, 2011); however, there is no official U.S. language (Brice, 2013). Should there be an official language in the U.S.? If so, what language should be set as the official language? ENGLISH SHOULD BE SET AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FOR THE U.S.
Financial Implications
Setting English as the official U.S. language, there would be a huge financial savings. Because the U.S. currently has no official language, our government is required to accommodate for non-English speaking residents (Brice, 2013). These accommodations come as a huge cost to the U.S. The increasing number of Hispanic immigrants arriving in the U.S. has increased the presence and penetration of Spanish and other languages in daily conversation, and even in official documents and advertising (Smith, 2011). It is estimated that the U.S. taxpayers pay billions of dollars a year printing multiple languages on everything from ballots, to legal documents, to hiring bilingual personnel in every government office, just to cater to non-English speaking migrants. If the U.S. set English as the official language, the U.S. would save billions annually in direct and indirect costs.
Educational Implications
Another area that would benefit from setting an official language is in the educational field. Foreign languages, especially Spanish, are more prevalent in our society. Our school systems have had to adapt and accommodate this increase. Our school systems have had to find special interpreters, develop bilingual education core studies, create special bilingual tests and exams and, in some cases, develop special learning programs for those who cannot speak English. Florida recognized a fatal problem. Florida has seen a 20% failure rate on the Florida Comprehensive...