Date: 6/16/2006 8:00:00 PM
From Authorid: 62881
I thought it was already...  |
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Date: 6/16/2006 8:01:00 PM ( Chatmin-BB )
I thought English was our official language too lol |
Date: 6/16/2006 8:01:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 28071
nope..There is no official language.  |
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Date: 6/16/2006 8:03:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 28071
22 states have declared English, the state's offical language, but nationally there is no language. |
Date: 6/16/2006 8:03:00 PM
From Authorid: 47296
Yes, Congress should make English the official language. Some municipalities have already done so.  |
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Date: 6/16/2006 8:05:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 28071
two, do you think declaring English as the official language goes against Freedom of Speech? |
Date: 6/16/2006 8:06:00 PM
From Authorid: 62881
Must be a State's rights issue...
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Date: 6/16/2006 8:17:00 PM
From Authorid: 49101
I think it is a total waste of time.  |
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Date: 6/16/2006 8:17:00 PM
From Authorid: 47296
No, it does not violate freedom of speech. Freedom of speech, as written in our Constitution, has absolutely nothing to do with what our national language is. |
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Date: 6/16/2006 8:20:00 PM
From Authorid: 49101
"immigrants to make an attempt to adopt the language at work, school, and other public places?" They aren't given much choice as it is considering that in order to function efficiently they must do this anyway. Some people choose not to be a part of that efficiency, the same as some Americans choose never to learn proper English. I think that we should learn to effectively communicate with one another before decicing to minimalize the few effectgive modes of communication we have now. |
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Date: 6/16/2006 8:23:00 PM
From Authorid: 47296
In order to become a citizen, a person has to have a basic written and oral understanding of English. Wouldn't it make sense then to make English the official language. |
Date: 6/16/2006 8:31:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 28071
Miss C, there are alot of business owners that have alot of employees who can't speak the language. I heard one restaurant owner complain that he has to translate what he needs done daily. In fact, I went to subway one day, and there was a lady there who didnt know english, and offered me "queso" for my sandwich. I said no thanks, but I would like some American Cheese  |
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Date: 6/16/2006 9:32:00 PM
From Authorid: 62881
I was watching one of the news channels last night...a hot dog vendor (I think that was what he does) said that if the person ordering their food from him couldn't order in English that he wouldn't serve them...then he decided that he would serve them, but he couldn't gurantee that they would get what they wanted... |
Date: 6/16/2006 9:38:00 PM
From Authorid: 22188
Declaring an official language won't solve the problems of immigrants not knowing how to speak English. After all, just about anyone can study and remember something long enough to pass a test (if they try hard enough). But let's face it, learning a new language is tough, especially one that has a totally different gramatical structure. HOWEVER, declaring English the official language WOULD mean that government documents and such would only have to be posted and publish in English and the translating would be left up to the public instead of the government and our tax dollars....but then there would probably be more initial spending to set up programs aimed at helping existing immigrants who don't speak the langues....I smell a vicious circle coming...  |
Date: 6/16/2006 9:54:00 PM
From Authorid: 36079
If we went to another country we would have to make an attempt to speak thier language. I think most of us would be idiots not to go without one of those books to convert useful sayings to the host countries language, and one of those language to language dictoinaries. It just makes sense. Why should we expect anything less? I think we go above and beyond accomadating many people coming into this country whether it be immigrant, worker, student, etc. The other day I heard on the news how certain immigrants were complaining that charitable organizations such as Catholic charities although they found them housing, they had nothing to sleep on, or furniture and were pulling stuff off the street. It's like do something for yourself gosh dang it! lol but I guess that is getting a bit off topic... lol What Two said makes sense though.  |
Date: 6/16/2006 10:41:00 PM
From Authorid: 63743
I thought the president made it our official language about two or three weeks ago. I'll have to check that out.  |
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Date: 6/17/2006 6:20:00 AM
From Authorid: 62881
My ex husband is Puerto Rican...he came here when he was 13 years old. His step dad was in the military. He and his sister had to stay up in their rooms and learn English...which they did...because thay couldn't go to school until they knew it. It didn't take them too long. Seems to me that these immigrants would want the advantage of knowing how to speak and read the English language...and it should be required of them to do so. And I think English should be made to be our national language...(and I thought it was already)...learn something new everyday. |
Date: 6/17/2006 6:21:00 AM
From Authorid: 4144
YES!  |
Date: 6/17/2006 8:28:00 AM
From Authorid: 30093
I think it should be Klingon.  |
Date: 6/17/2006 9:29:00 AM
From Authorid: 7574
I think it should..Should have done it along time ago, I think.  |
Date: 6/17/2006 2:36:00 PM
From Authorid: 47218
National language movements serve more to perpetuate nationalist ideologies than for any practical purpose. Language policy is a very touchy issue with me...my biggest beef is that laws are determined on the basis of dogma and for furthering political agendas rather than upon a well-thought out analysis of the issue, taking into consideration sound scientific research on how people interact in cross-linguistic contexts, and thus the laws end up being totally out of touch with reality and completely anti-productive (because, outside of linguists, understanding of language is very rudimentary). In fact, language laws tend to go hand-in-hand with nationalistic movements because that is really what it is all about-- making a statement about national identity. To give an example: I read recently about the apartheid era in South Africa and how the white-controlled government, feeling a threat to their authority (because it was about the time that blacks were beginning to take a stand to assert themselves), passed a law requiring that Afrikaans, the national language, become the teaching language in all schools and that schools that were teaching in Bantu (the main native language) had to switch immediately over to Afrikaans. Of course, large numbers of the schools for blacks were taught in Bantu and, with students who understood very little of Afrikaans and teachers who were minimally proficient in it themselves, no one could communicate and whole classes of students began to flunk.  |
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Date: 6/17/2006 2:38:00 PM
From Authorid: 47218
oops-- should say "counterproductive", not anti-productive. lol. |
Date: 6/18/2006 10:58:00 PM
From Authorid: 3321
I don't know about legislating it, however I do believe a good way for anyone to assimilate themselves into the culture would be to learn the most commonly spoken language. Or, perhaps the US could actually take a cue from most other countries and teach multiple languages so that this wouldn't really be an issue. English is spoken all over the world, in any country that does major business-specifically the corporate world. Japan, Saudi Arabia, China....and then you have European countries that require children to take multiple languages. We are well behind in the world market because we lack proper education for children and adults. We're falling behind as a country and this ridiculous debate on legislating English as our language only serves as proof of this. Yes, it would be proper for immigrants to assimilate themselves into our culture, but then again we refuse to do the same thing worldwide. And, wouldn't it be fantastic if our education were actually up to par enough to where we spoke multiple languages and wouldn't throw a big fit anytime we heard a foreign voice?  |
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Date: 6/20/2006 10:39:00 PM
From Authorid: 36079
I don't think they should assimiliate. Assimilating is leading to the decline of culture. However I do think that the US being my home, what should be more important to us, is our culture, beliefs and ideologies being sacred unto ourselves. I think it is great to let them in, I'm all for that. But to say that we have to bend backward to learn thier language, I think not. |
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Date: 6/21/2006 9:01:00 AM
From Authorid: 30093
I personally feel EVERYONE should know at least 2 languages. |
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Date: 6/26/2006 4:27:00 PM
From Authorid: 36079
I think there should be one world language and anyone caught using any other language is to be shot on site! hahahaha |
Date: 5/30/2008 1:39:00 PM
From Authorid: 24003
I really thought it was already. lol Shows what I know!  |
