CreateDebate is a social debate community built around ideas, discussion and democracy.
If this is your first time checking out a debate, here are some quick tips to help get you started:
Arguments with the highest score are displayed first.
Argument replies (both in favor and in opposition) are displayed below the original argument.
To follow along, you may find it helpful to show and hide the replies displayed below each argument.
To vote for an argument, use these icons:
You have the power to cast exactly one vote (either up or down) for each argument.
Once you vote, the icon will become grayed out and the argument's score will change.
Yes, you can change your vote.
Debate scores, side scores and tag scores are automatically calculated by an algorithm that primarily takes argument scores into account.
All scores are updated in real-time.
To learn more about the CreateDebate scoring system, check out the FAQ.
When you are ready to voice your opinion, use the Add Argument button to create an argument.
If you would like to address an existing argument, use the Support and Dispute link within that argument to create a new reply.
English rose to prominence as the international language of trade because of the British Empire. It still is the most spoken first or second language around the world. It is also the most spoken language in the United States. As a practical matter, it should be made the legal language of the United States. If a non-English speaker wants to immigrate here, it would be prudent for him to learn English so that he can communicate with us, just as with an English speaker who wants to move to Russia.
Yes but given its proximity to Mexico I think Spanish should be also an official language as well. Doesn't mean people have to learn it, but it includes the foreigners who have come over to make America their home as well.
While I do agree that English would be the obvious choice, why do we need an official language anyway? We've gotten along just fine without one, and our society and government operates as if English is in that position anyway. But the actual process of making it official would probably end up costing millions anyway, so why bother mandating it? What advantages are we missing out on? (and I'm not being sarcastic, I legitimately cannot think of any benefit we would get out of it.)
Well, we would save money by making it official because we wouldn't have to supply so many things that we do now be written in other languages, in particular Spanish.
It's not a big issue with me, but it IS a fact tha most countries have an official language... we don't.
"Well, we would save money by making it official because we wouldn't have to supply so many things that we do now be written in other languages, in particular Spanish."
Maybe. The thing is, we don't really have to provide things in multiple languages, we do it out of convenience. And the convenience isn't just for the foreign language speakers. English speakers also benefit by not having to pantomime "the bathroom is over there!" on a regular basis. Metro areas will have always have large numbers of non-English speakers: immigrants (legal and illegal), tourists, foreign businessmen, etc.
And making it the official language would set the stage for requiring legal immigrants to speak the language but:
a) we already have the authority to do that if we wish, we don't need to mandate the language on a federal level. But also...
b) adding more restrictions to immigration would likely increase illegal immigration.
c) I don't think it would be fair to retroactively enforce the language on already existing legal immigrants who don't speak English. In fact, setting up proper programs to teach them English would cost us a bundle.
"but it IS a fact that most countries have an official language... we don't."
I'm not debating that. I imagine they had their reasons. But I wonder if those reasons apply to our country's scenario.
It's not a big issue with me either, if our country chose to do it, I wouldn't go protesting it or anything. It just doesn't seem necessary to me.
I think even if the government did set English as an official language, it will (or at least should) still need to provide translations of important documents to people whose English isn't good enough, or provide interpreters for spoken situations.
e.g. If you provide a consent form in English to someone who doesn't read English and just get them to sign it, you haven't communicated the pertinent information to them, therefore they haven't given informed consent, therefore whatever you're doing to them is a violation of their human rights.
I do think that if you choose to migrate to a foreign country, you generally have the responsibility to learn that country's dominant language. But it would be unnecessarily harsh to punish people whose English ability isn't good enough by not giving them the opportunity to figure out the important things that are happening to them.
As much as I would like to agree I cannot because for starters, whether we make English the official language you will still have to translate many documents into not only Spanish but Arabic, chinese etc. Why you ask: because we still have a very big problem and that problem is immigrants. Secondly, we still have tourist who bring in the money to NYC when they are visiting. How can you make contact with them if you don't understand them well by translating those flyers, documents, etc.
The U.S can't be asked to invent their own language, which is perfectly ok, what I don't want is them stealing ours and claiming it to be a new american dialect.
Why is this even a debate? People who don't know English, the first language of America, are coming over here to live. If you're going to live here, you might as well speak the main language.
Our history is that we were an English colony, the majority of the population speaks English, and people from other countries already recognize our language to be English, am I missing something? I'm all for knowing more than one language, but English is the dominant language here without a doubt.
Yes because English already dominates the world as the language of the internet, of commerce and of science..it's the most common second language in the world already...
It's already the default language of the USA anyway so what's the problem?
As an Englishman my only gripe is the US should try to adopt proper English but I think more Americans have trouble understanding British and International English than the other way around hehe.
1.) English is the most commonly spoken language in the United States of America, if you don't speak it you'll have to learn it anyways. So it makes sense to have a national language that most people can understand.
2.) Cost: It would be cheaper to just produce all Federal documents in English only, not our fault if they can't read it. They should've learned.
3.) Follow by example: Plenty of states have done it, so why not the federal government?
4.) Patriotism: What message do we send across if we don't even agree to have the most pure, godly, capitalistic, scientific language as our national language? A bad one, it shows we don't care about the majorities concerns and wants.
how are you my name is Miss olivia i saw your profile today and become interested in you so here is my e-mail address (olivia.peter17 @ y a h o o .c o m ) Please try to send me E-mail so that I can give you my picture.for you to know whom i am
There is no De Jure national language in the federal government of the United States for a couple reasons.
1.) Flexibility, you never know when there will be more speakers of one language than English one day. Spanish is already spoken by a significant minority of the US population, that number is growing. It likely won't take over English as the dominate language any time soon; you can't ever know either.
2.) Openness and Freedom: It shows that the US federal government is open to all languages of the world, this is good for propaganda reasons at the very least. It shows that we are accepting of people of all nationalities, not just those with an English language background.
3.) Federal law applies to the entire nation, thus it is better to have no national language in areas that other languages are very common. Examples are New Mexico (a US state, some people know this, some don't), Southern California, or Louisiana (French).
I feel like making english the national language we will lose some of the diversity. Everything will have to be written in english so places like little italy and china town would just lose its authenticity.
Why would a country based on free speech force a language on somebody?
It's okay to say whatever you want, as long as its in english?
As a practical matter English is already the most commonly spoken first or second language in the world. Just as an English speaker would learn Chinese before moving to China, someone moving to the US would logically have to do do to communicate. Therefore, it is a simple matter to pass a law to ensure that we all communicate in a way that we can understand (English).
I don't think its the government's job to ensure we communicate in a way everyone can understand.
I also don't see why its important. If some people in little Mexico only knows Spanish so what? Further more, some people are incapable of speaking English, and must use a language few understand (American sign language for example).
An English speaker would learn the basics of Chinese before moving to china(ideally) but likely won't actually learn how to speak it(become fluent) in-till they spent some time there.
The implementation of a law which would actually ensure everyone can communicate in English would be problematic as well.
I also don't see why its important. If some people in little Mexico only knows Spanish so what?
It is not necessary for them to learn English if they have no intention of moving to an English-speaking nation. If they do, consider the converse scenario: an American who seeks to move to Mexico or work there on a continual basis would find it prudent to learn Spanish. The native citizens of a nation should not have to cope with the issue presented by the language barrier when someone wants to move to their nation.
The implementation of a law which would actually ensure everyone can communicate in English would be problematic as well.
How is that? It would actually ensure that communication is made easier.
1] Who says an American living in Mexico isn't living in an English speaking community, or bothers/needs to speak to any one in Spanish. There isn't much of a language barrier if people are not trying to communicate. Also, they could just have a full time translator, for many immigrants their children who grow up in the country they live in act as translators for them. Fact is, people get along fine without knowing too much of the language. Forcing them to learn something they don't need to because on rare occasions it may be useful and less annoying for the natives is an unnecessary infringement on people and an unnecessary burden on tax payers, law enforcers, etc.
2] lack of facilities, lack of enough qualified teachers, Lack of legal precedent,difficult enforcement,testing, inefficiency(illegal immigrants), raising the cost of legal immigration etc. Also, communication is easy enough most of the time.
Who says an American living in Mexico isn't living in an English speaking community, or bothers/needs to speak to any one in Spanish.
That does not change the fact that as, for instance, a Spanish-speaking community grows in the United States it will have to interact with the general population. That communication is be simplified if both sides understand one another.
Also, they could just have a full time translator, for many immigrants their children who grow up in the country they live in act as translators for them.
That is nullified if the children learn the language. In fact, if, as you posit, it is not necessary to learn the national language, why would the children do so?
Forcing them to learn something they don't need to because on rare occasions it may be useful and less annoying for the natives is an unnecessary infringement on people and an unnecessary burden on tax payers, law enforcers, etc.
It is simply a matter of prudence and practicality. A person moving to another nation would first have to learn the most commonly spoken language so that he could survive there. If you are going to live in a country, especially over the long term or long periods, it is almost inevitable that you will have to communicate with the natives beyond the conversational requirements of a tourist.
lack of facilities, lack of enough qualified teachers, Lack of legal precedent,difficult enforcement,testing, inefficiency(illegal immigrants), raising the cost of legal immigration etc.
There are already substantial resources that are dedicated to immigration in the U.S. Many of these are redundant, and those elements can be applied to ensuring that English is learned by all immigrants. Indeed, it is not necessary to teach in a classroom setting. There is software that can be distributed to immigrants or that they can purchase themselves that will allow them to gain an understanding of our language.
but we already teach children from Kindergarden, english. some schoold dont teach other lanquages untill 8th- 9th grade. so english is pretty much the dominant language anyways
English should be the official language of the USA this is because the US has had English language since Britain invaded the US.It would be dumb to change it as people would have to learn a new language books would have to be re written and the government would have to shell out billion maybe even trillions to change it
English is NOT the official language of the US right now. Its the most common, but not official. The arguement is whether we should keep things the way they are or supress other languages in the country.
Making English the official language of The USA, defeats the purpose of why this great country was founded the way it was. We have already removed many of the policies and structures designed to make us a powerful and integrated nation. Our immigration policies and guidelines have degraded to that of many communistic nations. We no longer accept and encourage the practice of any religion, and the separation of church and state is barely noticeable. We need to stop the devolution of the principals that were used to found this nation and start to rectify the backwards steps we have taken.
