OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

Designating English as the Official Language in United States

Ronald A.Tracy

English 122

Tiffany Young

October 10, 201Designating English as the Official Language in United States

There are several probable reasons that the fathers of the nation of the United States chose not to designate English as the official language. One of these may have been that the dominance of English was self-evident, rendering an official policy unnecessary. Another possible reason may be that the fathers of the nation respected linguistic diversity and minority rights. The third reason may be that the fathers of the nation were hesitant to offend minorities who had supported the revolutionary cause (Thom & Kathryn, 1999). The founders opted for a permissive approach. For example, election to the presidency is reserved for persons born in the United States willingness to embrace English and abandon other languages of origin soon became a symbol of national loyalty by immigrants, which shows that immigrants are loyal towards the United States. I think English should become the official language of the United States. It is very important in the aspect of getting a job. It is also important in the area of communication. If you can not speak English, it would be hard to get a job where communication is involved. English is the language of flexibility, business and opening round the world. Declaring English the official language of the United States will supply lawful defense contrary to ill-advised government activities which damage or disregard English.

It is common for a country to have an official language. However, the US is one of the few countries that does not have an official language. The late 1970s saw a movement come forth in Miami and Florida to accept English as a national language. The movement gained popularity across the country and the movement soon moved towards a voter's initiative. However, the voter initiative was eventually overturned by the courts. This is only one instance in which the movement to make English the official language gained momentum and met with failure (Kim, 2010).

Regardless of the original thinking of the fathers of the nation, English has functioned as if it was the official language throughout the history of the United States, and it has often been designated as official for specific purposes (Zededa & Hill, 2001). Thus, English has generally possessed the status of the official language, and this is functionally more important than its official designation. This point seems to be missed by many who support official English policies (Zededa & Hill, 2001).

There are several probable reasons that the fathers of the nation of the USA chose not to designate English as the official language. One of these may have been that the dominance of English was self-evident, rendering an official policy unnecessary (Karen & Adams, 2002). Another possible reason may be that the fathers of the nation respected linguistic diversity and minority rights. The third reason may be that the fathers of the nation were hesitant to offend minorities who had supported the revolutionary ...