Should English be the Official Language of the United States?
The question of
whether or not English should be the official language of the United States is
quite controversial. The United States does not have an official language.
However, according to Lee Thomas’ article Language as Power: A Linguistic Critique of U.S. English, “English has become the “national language” of the U.S. in that people residing in the U.S. recognize it as the common language in use in the country”. In fact, legislation has been passed by
thirty-two states to make English the primary language of their area. Some
states that have an official English bill include Florida, California, and
Massachusetts. There is evident stigma and linguistic discrimination in America
towards non-fluent English speakers. Linguistic discrimination is defined as “the unfair treatment of an individual based solely on their use of language”. Despite
the diverse makeup of the American population, which is often referred to as
the melting pot, people are not seen as full “citizens” or successfully
immersed into society until they can speak English effortlessly. Passing
legislation that enables English to be the United State’s official language will
further the gap and inequalities that exist between fluent and non-fluent
English speakers. The article written by Faith Powers titled, “English as
Official Language: An Act of Unification or Segregation”, highlights the
detrimental effects that will occur if English were to become the legitimate
language in America. According to Powers, “instead of integration, it will promote frustration, segregation, and discrimination between those who speakEnglish and those who do not." Although declaring an official language in the
United States has a well-intentioned goal of creating unity in society by
having a common language, it ultimately will only drive people farther apart. Those
who are not native English speakers will end up excluded and alienated from
their peers because they will not fit the norm constructed by the passed
legislation.
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| Map of states who have and have not passed legislation to make English their official language https://www.proenglish.org/official-english/state-profiles |
Impact of Arizona
English Fluency Legislation on Alejandrina Cabrera
This video gives an introduction on what happened to Alejandrina Cabrera
Non-native English speakers are at a disadvantage when compared to native speakers in America. This was seen when Alejandrina Cabrera was planning on running for a seat on the San Luis City Council in the 2012 election. However, Juan Carlos Escamilla, the mayor of San Luis, sought to make Cabrera not eligible to be on the ballot. This lead to the case of Escamilla v. Cuello where Cabrera ended up unable to run for the position. She had too “low” of a level of English proficiency in speaking, writing, and reading. In order for Arizona residents to be politicians, they are required to be skilled in these areas according to Section 38-201 (C). Unclear in this requirement is the amount of English and at what level is needed to be proficient enough to run. Additionally, this qualification neglects the fact that San Luis is situated near the Mexican border. Therefore, a majority of its inhabitants speak Spanish. Maeve Callagy’s article, “’My English Is Good Enough’ for San Luis: Adopting A Two-Pronged Approach For Arizona’s English Fluency Requirements For Candidates In Public Office”, further discusses the problems that result due to this qualification. According to Callagy, “There is a sharp disconnect when the law of a state fails to reflectthe realities of life for each community within its border”. Cabrera was a candidate highly capable of accomplishing great things for San Luis. Yet, she was held back due to her lack of English proficiency in a city where fluency in that language is not necessarily needed to be successful.
Pressure ESOL
Students Face to Speak English Fluently
The inequity and negative view towards non-fluent English speakers is seen in school settings as well. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students are constantly segregated from the rest of their peers and are not held to as high of a standard. Many ESOL students end up ashamed of this label due to the negative connotations associated with it. In some cases, these students are bullied because of their limited English vocabulary. Motha’s chapter, “Teaching Empire or Teaching English”, discusses how these students feel inadequate when compared to non-ESOL students. According to Motha, “It constructs individuals who do speak English as an elite group, a club difficult to achieve membership in if, as is suggested by the jeer, all ESOL students are excluded”. ESOL students feel an immense amount of pressure to learn the English language, so that they can be at a more equal playing field as their native speaking peers. They are taught American culture and history in schools and the English language. The other language ESOL students may know prior coming into the classroom is not validated in the schools or in the common curriculum. Therefore, it makes it seem to students that their other language is not important as English and is holding them back.
In order for ESOL students to not be ashamed of this status, their teachers must be culturally relevant and acknowledge the different cultural backgrounds and identities of the learners. Educators need to build on these students' prior knowledge and past experiences. They should view the students as competent and able to contribute to classroom discussion. ESOL students deserve more credit than they receive because learning a completely new language is a challenging task. Overall, ESOL students need to feel validated and that they have the potential in their classes, so that they too can achieve academic success. Language should not be used as a way to discriminate against this group of students, but rather should be incorporated in the classroom in a way that brings all the students from different backgrounds together.
The inequity and negative view towards non-fluent English speakers is seen in school settings as well. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students are constantly segregated from the rest of their peers and are not held to as high of a standard. Many ESOL students end up ashamed of this label due to the negative connotations associated with it. In some cases, these students are bullied because of their limited English vocabulary. Motha’s chapter, “Teaching Empire or Teaching English”, discusses how these students feel inadequate when compared to non-ESOL students. According to Motha, “It constructs individuals who do speak English as an elite group, a club difficult to achieve membership in if, as is suggested by the jeer, all ESOL students are excluded”. ESOL students feel an immense amount of pressure to learn the English language, so that they can be at a more equal playing field as their native speaking peers. They are taught American culture and history in schools and the English language. The other language ESOL students may know prior coming into the classroom is not validated in the schools or in the common curriculum. Therefore, it makes it seem to students that their other language is not important as English and is holding them back.
In order for ESOL students to not be ashamed of this status, their teachers must be culturally relevant and acknowledge the different cultural backgrounds and identities of the learners. Educators need to build on these students' prior knowledge and past experiences. They should view the students as competent and able to contribute to classroom discussion. ESOL students deserve more credit than they receive because learning a completely new language is a challenging task. Overall, ESOL students need to feel validated and that they have the potential in their classes, so that they too can achieve academic success. Language should not be used as a way to discriminate against this group of students, but rather should be incorporated in the classroom in a way that brings all the students from different backgrounds together.
Should English be the official language of Europe?
According to this article, "Children in Europe start learning foreign languages at an increasingly early age", children are learning foreign languages in Europe earlier than they did years ago. They begin learning other languages from ages 6-9. In Germany, they provide foreign language learning for children at the age of 3. It is found that English is the most taught foreign language in all European countries. Language and cultural diversity is one of the European Union’s major assets. There is a trend that has increased since 2004/2005 and in lower secondary education, the percentage of students learning English exceeds 90%. It helps to have the teachers know the language so they can teach the students, but teachers can't know every language. Most teachers in Europe know the majority of the English language because they are required to spend time abroad so they learn the language. Therefore, English should be taught in Europe.
Higher education is becoming increasingly internationalized and student mobility is a significant aspect. A new feature for student mobility is English taught programs. Wachter and Maiworm define English taught programs as “programs taught in English in non-English speaking countries in Europe, where English was not the domestic language.” More universities in Europe are offering these programs, which is beneficial for international students. Today, more international students are coming to America to get a better education and are learning English. They have to take English classes as soon as possible so they can communicate even with basic terminology. I think including the students is the best way to help them succeed. English programs for international students is beneficial so they can communicate and be immersed in the culture.
One of the programs for teaching English is called World Teach. It partners with other organizations in developing countries to provide volunteer teachers to meet local needs and promote dependable global citizenship. The program seeks to give all children access to a quality education that will expand their knowledge and deepen their understanding of themselves so they can build productive lives. “The world needs wider access to education and more compassionate global citizens.” It brings people from different cultures allowing them to know each other as friends, teachers and colleagues.
This image shows the students in the World Teach program.
http://www.worldteach.org/why-worldteach/the-need/
I interviewed one of my friends from school and asked her opinion on if English should be taught globally in Europe. She is a junior in the School of Education at Syracuse University. She was born in Poland and moved to America when she was 9 years old. When she came to the United States she didn’t know any English, but she was taught the language in school. She now lives in Connecticut and visits Poland once a year. When I asked her if English should be taught globally, she said that it should be a choice to take English. Not everyone needs to know English if they were born in another country and work there for their whole lives. It wouldn’t benefit anyone because not everyone will live in an English speaking country. In Poland, there is a choice to take multiple languages including English. You can start learning English in 1st grade. When you are a student and have to choose a language, it should be based on what the students want to do in their careers.
The article, “The Future of Language” by David Graddol, talks about the evolution of the English language. “Global demography is one of the causes of the language crisis.” One of the trends is a relative decline of English. In the mid 20th century, nearly 9% of the global population grew up speaking English as their first language, but that proportion is declining and it will eventually be closer to 5% by 2050. People should keep learning the language so it doesn’t die. According to the article, many people believe English will become the world language instead of any other one. English will play a role in shaping the new world linguistic order, but its major impact will be in creating new generations of bilingual and multilingual speakers across the world. In Europe, a wave of English has spread from North to South. In Sweden, Denmark and Netherlands, nearly 80% of the population now is fluent in English. In Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal, English is now about big business. In European schools today, learning English is considered as a basic skill taught along with computer skills. This article proves that English should be taught globally.
This image shows English taught master's programs by country and year. Every year it has been increasing.
http://monitor.icef.com/2013/10/study-finds-more-european-universities-offering-graduate-programmes-in-english/
I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain for 4 months last semester. I lived with a host mom who only spoke a few words of English. My roommate and I taught her a few basic words in English such as grandmother and grandchildren because she is a grandma, but I mostly talked to her in Spanish and translated for my roommate who didn’t any speak Spanish. I think since she has had many foreign exchange students living in her apartment, she should know English. Her children speak English fluently because they lived in other countries in Europe, but never taught their mother. Even in my school that was the International Institute, there were teachers and employees who didn’t speak English at all. While I was in Spain, I realized that most of the people spoke the basic terms of English, but were also learning more from the tourists and the media. One of the men I met told me that when he was a young boy in school, English wasn’t taught, but now it is offered in schools for children and they are learning grammar and spelling at a young age. He wishes he was taught earlier so that he could speak it fluently and communicate with more people such as tourists like me. He would always ask me something in English and ask if it was said correctly or if there was a better way of phrasing the sentence. More of the younger generations living in Spain speak English, but their grammar and spelling are not perfect. English is a hard language to learn, but it is a very common language among other countries so it should be taught globally.
Has English been established as a Global Language in Asia?
In most Asian countries, English is an indispensable language for international and national communication.
South Korea
Specifically, in South Korea, the hegemony of English in South Korea is constructed through the mediation of language ideologies. In South Korea, the English language is indispensable. Although we can’t fully measure the impact that the language has made, there are statistic that show how powerful the language is. Solely in private English education costs, it estimated to have reach 20.9 trillion won (roughly $13.7 billion US) in 2008 (Kang, 2009). “‘English mania’ is so extreme that a surgical operation has been developed that severs a small piece of tissue under the tongue in the hopes of improving English pronunciation (Shin, 2004).” South Koreans are taking extreme measures in the frenetic pursuit of English proficiency and the various social meanings that English takes on in such a setting. English is highly viewed; however, it is a difficult language for Koreans. Park says, “it is a language that drives Koreans into strange and irrational obsessions which unduly burden every Korean, both emotionally and financially” (p. 2). Korean people talk and think about English because of language ideologies and three principles.
1. The language grants financial success in a global economy if English is mastered.
2. Externalization: conflict with one’s identity as a Korean.
3. The ideology of self-depreciation: Korean people are poor English speakers despite their investments in learning English.
This video introduces English Education in South Korea and how it's being implemented.
China
Also, in China, English is becoming the Global Language. As China continues to grow economically, Mandarin was thought to be the preferred language of business. However, that is not happening anytime soon, says a newly released study. Instead, English will maintain and grow its dominance, moving from “a marker of the elite” in years past to “a basic skill needed for the entire workforce, in the same way that literacy has been transformed in the last two centuries from an elite privilege into a basic requirement for informed citizenship.” “The new study of 1.6 million online test-takers in more than 50 countries was conducted by EF Education First, a company that – it should be noted – specializes in English language training.” In the National Journal reports that only 10% of native-born Americans can speak a second language, compared to 56% of European Union citizens.The ability to speak a second (or third) language is clearly important for becoming a global worker. But – for better or worse – it seems that English may be the most essential language for global business success at the current moment. Indeed, even in China, more people are currently studying English than in any other country. “An incredible 100,000 native English speakers are currently teaching there.”
In this video, Jay Walker talks about how English, the language is actually becoming a "mania" in China."
Japan
In Japan, English has become their international language or global language. When we say international or global language, do we really understand what they mean? This is a profoundly important question as for Japan now in view of the "developing Japanese with English abilities" introduced by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2003 to improve Japan's English language teaching (ELT). “English has conspicuously spread among non-native speakers as a generous number of Asian, African, Pacific, and other countries designate it as their official, associate official, or working language.” In Japan, millions of students are learning English as a barrier for wider communication. According to a survey conducted by Japan's National Institute of Language in 1999, people unanimously considered English as the most useful language for “world-wide communication.” Therefore, in Japan’s perspective, English is not the language to use only with Americans, Europeans, or any other native speakers of English, but rather, English is the language for us to use with Asians and Pacific Islanders. It is the language for us to use with Europeans, Africans, Arabians, and etc. English has become an international language means that it has become a language for multinational communication.
Our Bulgarian Partners' Perspective on the Question
Kaly:
In Bulgaria, English has not been quite established as a global language.
Although there are a lot of bilingual schools where students study English as
early as first grade, there are also many schools, where students are not
required to learn English. In my opinion, learning English should be promoted
as much as possible because it is the closest to a global language people have
reached. Initially, I started learning English from things such as cartoons,
movies and just listening to my mother talking and that helped me a lot later
when I started learning with a teacher. In our high school, learning English is
the top one priority from prep year, because from freshman to senior year, we
have almost all of our subjects in English.
Maggie:
My parents have been always telling me that knowing English is not any priority
anymore but a need. Anywhere you go, no matter the continent, it is more likely
to be able to communicate with people in English that in other language. Also,
after graduation, many people decide to study abroad. The most popular
destinations in the world for postgraduates are place like Britain and the US
(English-speaking countries). Furthermore, even if you decide to study
somewhere else, most universities offer programs in English. So no matter where
you come from, you always have the opportunity to study wherever you want if
only you know English. In this sense, becoming a global citizen requires to
know English so that’s why I think English should be taught globally.
Lora:
My personal experience with English has not only broadened my perspective and
reality, as it has given me the chance to communicate with people all over the
world, but has also made that really easy. It is a beautiful language with a
wide variety of words, phrases and idioms that work together with different
sentence structures and tenses to create a delightful mixture. This gives one
the chance to better communicate their thoughts and ideas, to elaborate their
words further, and to exemplify their choices accordingly, as the range of ways
in which one can connect with others through the English language are
innumerable, all of which serve a different purpose in self-expression. This is
what I believe the essence of this language is, and the mere reason why (in my
opinion) it should be taught globally.
Sources:
https://www.citelighter.com/sociology/sociology/knowledgecards/linguistic-discrimination
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED382034.pdf
https://www.proenglish.org/official-english/state-profiles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVHsP_tEmYg
http://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=jlp
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dN0lAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=teaching+empire+or+teaching+english+motha&ots=qaqfAwadDL&sig=EswS8a3tfZ-_r7mrwlWyM6WtS3A#v=onepage&q=teaching%20empire%20or%20teaching%20english%20motha&f=false
http://www.lingref.com/cpp/slrf/2008/paper2397.pdf
https://vienna-english.com/tag/english/
http://www.ff.unipo.sk/jak/10_2012/krajnakova.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ8HGwuGtY
https://www.ted.com/talks/jay_walker_on_the_world_s_english_mania?language=en#t-198287
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-990_en.htm
http://search.proquest.com/docview/746482140/BD13B8EB6F8C4680PQ/7?accountid=14214
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3836391?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoAdvancedSearch%3Fc5%3DAND%26amp%3Bq0%3Dshould%2Benglish%2Bbe%2Btaught%2Bglobally%26amp%3Bq5%3D%26amp%3Bc1%3DAND%26amp%3Bf2%3Dall%26amp%3Bf1%3Dall%26amp%3Bla%3D%26amp%3Bq6%3D%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bsd%3D%26amp%3Bpt%3D%26amp%3Bc2%3DAND%26amp%3Bc3%3DAND%26amp%3Bc6%3DAND%26amp%3Bf6%3Dall%26amp%3Bq4%3D%26amp%3Bq3%3D%26amp%3Bf5%3Dall%26amp%3Bq2%3D%26amp%3Bc4%3DAND%26amp%3Bf0%3Dall%26amp%3Bf4%3Dall%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bf3%3Dall%26amp%3Bisbn%3D%26amp%3Bed%3D%26amp%3Bq1%3Deurope&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
http://www.jstor.org/stable/320027?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoAdvancedSearch%3Ff3%3Dall%26amp%3Bf2%3Dall%26amp%3Bq6%3D%26amp%3Bla%3D%26amp%3Bf1%3Dall%26amp%3Bc1%3DAND%26amp%3Bf6%3Dall%26amp%3Bed%3D%26amp%3Bsd%3D%26amp%3Bf5%3Dall%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bf0%3Dall%26amp%3Bq1%3Deurope%26amp%3Bpt%3D%26amp%3Bq4%3D%26amp%3Bq0%3Denglish%2Btaught%26amp%3Bc2%3DAND%26amp%3Bq5%3D%26amp%3Bc5%3DAND%26amp%3Bc6%3DAND%26amp%3Bf4%3Dall%26amp%3Bc4%3DAND%26amp%3Bc3%3DAND%26amp%3Bq3%3D%26amp%3Bq2%3D%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bisbn%3D&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
http://www.worldteach.org/why-worldteach/the-need/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y5UAC-2F7w
http://monitor.icef.com/2013/10/study-finds-more-european-universities-offering-graduate-programmes-in-english/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/13/learning-a-foreign-language-a-must-in-europe-not-so-in-america/
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