This question was posed to my English 1510 class and I thought I would pass it on. I contend that we do, that it is part of the unwritten constitution just as is judicial review. My evidence: The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, 99% of classrooms in the US, roadsigns, even official documents are English. What do you think?
It serves no purpose to require citizens to speak English. I'm sure it actually infringes their rights also.
So in that case, since the government doesn't care about "rights", I'm sure they'll pass some kind of constitutional amendment to require it.
I know in the US military, while you are in uniform, you are forbidden to speak any language other than English, unless it is absolutely necessary.
My belief is that if you are living in a country, you should learn and speak the local language. I did this while I was deployed to Iraq. I learned bits and pieces of Arabic, just enough to have a small conversation. Given this, if someone from another country wants to live here, sure go ahead. But please learn English.
On another note, Illinois state law forbids the English language to be spoken within its borders. What language are you to speak then? American. Go look it up. Just another one of those dumb state laws.
Free speech isn't free if it limits the languages you can speak. All I'm saying.
Quote from: rarehuntertay on October 31, 2013, 10:35:27 PM
My belief is that if you are living in a country, you should learn and speak the local language. I did this while I was deployed to Iraq. I learned bits and pieces of Arabic, just enough to have a small conversation. Given this, if someone from another country wants to live here, sure go ahead. But please learn English.
It would certainly be optimal for a resident of this country to learn English. They should also want to learn it for their own good. I think it's overstepping the bounds to require them to learn English to live here.
Not to mention, English is a very difficult language to learn. Some people are past their prime learning years and unable to really strap in and learn a new language. I probably couldn't learn Arabic or Chinese right now, and my incentives for learning either are different.
Quote from: rarehuntertay on October 31, 2013, 10:35:27 PM
On another note, Illinois state law forbids the English language to be spoken within its borders. What language are you to speak then? American. Go look it up. Just another one of those dumb state laws.
Jingoistic non-sense.
Quote from: Mlerner12 on October 31, 2013, 10:37:02 PM
Free speech isn't free if it limits the languages you can speak. All I'm saying.
Our country is built upon hyprocracy. "we believe all men are created equal". Guess what? Slaves in the room. Emancipation Proclamation. Did not free all slaves, only those in the South. The North kept there's. Trivia piece: the first recognized slave owner in the Colonies was from Virginia, and he was a black person.
The Bill of Rights? You only have those "rights" for as long as the government sees fit. Look up black-listed books.
Also, freedom isn't free... Regardless of what anyone says. There is always a price someone has to pay for that "freedom"
Quote from: Dudecore on October 31, 2013, 10:42:35 PM
Quote from: rarehuntertay on October 31, 2013, 10:35:27 PM
My belief is that if you are living in a country, you should learn and speak the local language. I did this while I was deployed to Iraq. I learned bits and pieces of Arabic, just enough to have a small conversation. Given this, if someone from another country wants to live here, sure go ahead. But please learn English.
It would certainly be optimal for a resident of this country to learn English. They should also want to learn it for their own good. I think it's overstepping the bounds to require them to learn English to live here.
Not to mention, English is a very difficult language to learn. Some people are past their prime learning years and unable to really strap in and learn a new language. I probably couldn't learn Arabic or Chinese right now, and my incentives for learning either are different.
Quote from: rarehuntertay on October 31, 2013, 10:35:27 PM
On another note, Illinois state law forbids the English language to be spoken within its borders. What language are you to speak then? American. Go look it up. Just another one of those dumb state laws.
Jingoistic non-sense.
i agree that it should not be required, it is preferable that one who moves to an English speaking country speaks English, but it should not be required as some people cannot learn a new language easily.I also like the word Jingoism. Such a fun word.
Yes I think all countries should. You're in their country they shouldn't really have to learn your language just so you can live there, you chose to live or visit somewhere, learn their language :3 feel free to speak your own but don't expect the rest to learn it simply because you can't speak their language.
I mean I wanna go to Russia some day :) I have people online teaching me :P I don't expect them to all know English xD
I know Chinese students here learn English before coming (I know many from when I learned a bit who tell me what it's like doing schooling and stuff here or America :) ) I think that's what people should do. They all speak Chinese to their friends or family when I use to visit them, which is fine(an old gf who did an oversea school thing) but in a store or something they're prepared to speak English when the shopkeeper doesn't speak mandarin or Cantonese. :)
Setting up an official language does not infringe upon anyone rights. I am a big fan of this because it makes things uniform. If everyone is speaking a different language then we all accomplish nothing. Communication breakdown.
Quote from: CbStrad on November 01, 2013, 01:04:41 AM
Quote from: Kareason on November 01, 2013, 12:54:09 AM
Setting up an official language does not infringe upon anyone rights. I am a big fan of this because it makes things uniform. If everyone is speaking a different language then we all accomplish nothing. Communication breakdown.
This. Having an official language streamlines the process so well
In my field, if we can't communicate then the chance of death increases. Each language has it's nuanced phrases that simply do not translate well into other tounges. Schadenfreude is a great example. A single word in German that requires a full sentence to say/explain in English and even then it loses something.
The implications of more than one language is nothing negative.
The national language IS English. Sure there's a Spanish influence in the southwest and maybe French to the north, but let's not kid ourselves. You can't make it big in America without knowing English.
A mandatory language is ridiculous. Military is different because they have a collective objective. But civilians? Who cares what they speak. Those who seek success already must learn English. If more influences become powerful, we'll just have to accept that the US is a melting pot of cultures.
Enforced English is bigotry, plain and simple
Quote from: Steerpike on November 01, 2013, 01:27:12 AM
The implications of more than one language is nothing negative.
The national language IS English.
wrong. The United States does not have a national language. Congress has voted on it several times, each time falling short of the required votes. So to this day, the unofficial language is English... Or Spanish... Or French... Or whatever you want it to be...
I should've clarified, I mean to say that it is undoubtedly the unofficial language of the US. And an actual vote doesn't mean jack anyway, because it's already understood that English is the language of power in this country.
Making it official is the bigot part