Describe Making English the Official Language in America (Research Paper Sample)

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Making English the Official Language in America
In America, English has been a universal tongue ever since its establishment. In current years, conversely, English has been at risk of losing its class as the official state language. This is because it is clear that in the cities and metropolises bordering the states; the use of native languages between immigrants has proved to be progressively more widespread. The American government, converse to the belief of many people, never has an official language due to the impact of immigrants (Bryson, 34). National legislators propose a law to formulate English to become the authorized national language in the American States, but every time of its proposal, the legislation dies. The making and passing of the federal proposal to permit English language to be used in all the government affairs will, therefore, create a common language which will enable easy communication, carrying out business, and more activities which will promote togetherness as looked at in this work.
To begin with, the making of English as the official language will persuade new immigrants to gain knowledge of this foreign language in the United States which they will have to adopt as their own. The problem is that these immigrants are glued to their indigenous languages in daily life activities, and even after migrating to the America for quite a lot of years; they still can never speak English. Since the need to have a common language has no negative impacts, most people within America argue that exercising other native languages must be lawfully restrained. Conversely, other citizens resist it by saying restraining will only put native speakers not have bilingual support and be under pressure during incidences of emergency thereby jeopardizing their lives. Therefore, the main objective of using English as a common language is to bring together the people of the America, whereas improving immigrant’s lives and other inhabitants.
Similarly, the express expenditure of bilingual education and translators is costly by amounting to billions of dollars, since most of these expenses are paid by the local governments. For instance, approximately $20 million (17%) of all time election allocated budget, has always been used to print ballot papers in different languages and also bilingual opinion poll workers have to be hired (Kibbee, 19). Also, courts have been forced to hire as much full-time bilingual court interpreters at expensive costs of about $300 in a day. This has led to the proposal of laws such as patients in need of interpreters and who can never speak English to hire their interpreters in health care centers. Therefore, if the use of English were a common language cutting across all America, billions of dollars would have to be saved from the national budget which allocates much expenditure on the bilingual education as well as the hiring of translators in the daily activities.
Equally, many immigrants who have no knowledge of speaking the English language often find themselves affected negatively by limited job opportunities. It is so because the federal government tries to encourage and to make English official language across the America in all activities starting from office to business work. This has over many generations become unclear to immigrants. All attempts to promote the use of English in all fields and the learning of this language has been criticized as racism and moreover referred to as an oppression thing. Though immigrants can never see the purpose of having one language since they oppose motions pushing for only one legal language, the state has a different view on this. According to the government, learning and using only English has constantly availed opportunities for migrants and their family units, by letting them penetrate into the United States mainstream and progress up with the socio-economic steps.
Correspondingly, in some learning institutions, failure rates of state provided exams for instance; Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) that is a basic requirement for graduation has failures exceeding twenty percent. The tests are always provided in English language and not any other language as expected by the non-English students who never have a clue about the language. Seemingly, many of them who fail since they are only fluent in their native languages, have been on the verge of making demands to either eliminate the tests or have the exams provided in their languages (Schilling, et al. 34). This has made the state to think of other options such as the need to create classes where these individuals will never learn or speak English but at the end of the day learn their curriculum courses. This is done by translating the curriculum from English to suit the learners and hiring teachers who have a good command of the native languages. This is often an expensive process and the need to have all learners to speak English would cut the costs of republishing books in other languages as well as hiring the language experts to teach the learners within America.
Also, the unseen expenses of accidents and the loss of productivity that results from the million immigrants who do not speak English are estimated to be over billions of dollars. These are inclusive of accidents such as; 1) Grave traffic accident, which results from misunderstanding and misinterpreting of the road signs and posts which, guides drivers. 2) Workplace accidents, for instance, misinterpreting even mails thereby causing conflicting responses to clients due to incidences such as delay in time. 3) Medical accidents, which occur when medical professionals not fluent in English cannot understand what the patients or their families needs of them to perform. The struggle by the government to eradicate these accidents by enforcing laws to make one official language which is English has been futile. If only one language were used in the whole American state, there would be fewer accidents which cost the government more expenses due to the barrier in language.
In addition, if Americans never had general government to protect and rule its citizens, this would result to disunity among the states. The same applies to not having a common language to bring together both the government and its people. This implies that use of the different languages would only lead to upsetting and disunity commotion within America and the future generations to come (English, 65). For instance, not having immigrants representatives within the government would seemingly be biased for all citizens regardless of the ethnic groups have a right to have a representative within the authorities. Therefore, in order to prevent such shortcomings, it is in order English language be known by all. Also, declaring English as the authorized language will bring back the encouragement to gain knowledge of it. Particularly, this step will necessitate that all regulations, orders, programs, laws, policies, public proceedings, publications, orders, and actions are carried out in only English language. Everybody, as a result, should learn English so as to communicate more proficiently to and with each other. This will eliminate the need to print using different languages, which would reduce the commercial and manufacturing costs.
Likewise, by immigrants accepting that America is an exceptionally better place to reside, and a land of countless opportunities and liberty, where most foreigners often want to inhabit and live, the immigrants should thereby be prepared to learn the English language in return. Clearly, the power of speaking a common language (English) will help unite the Americans, native born, and immigrants alike. Equally, communication with one another in a common, single tongue promotes trust, as it reduces ethnic bigotry and hostility. Therefore, to all immigrants, understanding the significance of keeping and learning the English language in the United States, is important and needs consideration. Even though immigrants believe it is okay to speak their native language in the US, American's language departmental considers that the passage of to making English become an official language could help to increase opportunities for the immigrants. They will acquire knowledge in the English language, which is the sole supreme empowering means that migrants must have so as to succeed. Therefore, learning and using English will encourage even the Americans to accept more immigrants since they will be united and there would be increased trust among them as well as giving them more opportunities for jobs or businesses.
Besides, claims have been made that English only should be affirmed as the official language, while abandoning the bilingual support on language use. Even though these claims clearly explain that inability to speak English language is a great drawback for immigrants, it's equally important to note that bilingual support holds back the study of English language (Kibbee, 29). Some American people have seemingly developed disrespectful and personal dislike attitudes towards immigrants since they consider them as; inhabitants who have resided in their countries for a long time and cannot be able to speak English. For example, they consider these immigrants as less intelligent individuals and would not be able to learn and speak English unless forced to do so. In addition, some American citizens are still intolerant of immigrants by considering them dander people who have invaded their country and did not want to speak their English language. Having English as the official language will, therefore, remove from the American's notion in mind that immigrants are un-intelligent, as well as uniting all of them regardless of which background they come from.
The United States of America is a home to over 350 native language speakers...