USA English As Official Language

[psalms 91]

What does everyone think? Personally I think it is bad when you call somewhere and you have to press a number for english. I have nothing against those who speak other languages but if they are coming to this country then I think the least they could do is learn the language.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Why have an official language? Do you really want government officials interfering in how a business, an individual, or a family chooses to communicate their ideas?

 

[MarkFL]

I don't want an official gub'ment mandated language, but I do agree that people immigrating here should learn to communicate effectively in English since that's what the majority speak.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Why have an official language? Do you really want government officials interfering in how a business, an individual, or a family chooses to communicate their ideas?

What you do with your family and friends at your own house is your business, but if you are going to live here you need to know how to communiate with others in a business setting using the common language in THAT country.

 

[dogs4thewin]

What does everyone think? Personally I think it is bad when you call somewhere and you have to press a number for english. I have nothing against those who speak other languages but if they are coming to this country then I think the least they could do is learn the language.

I agree with that 1000%.

 

[Lamb]

If I ever moved to another country to live, I know I'd have to learn their language. So, why do people refuse to learn English?

I would love an official language so I voted yes.

 

[MoreCoffee]

If I ever moved to another country to live, I know I'd have to learn their language. So, why do people refuse to learn English?

I would love an official language so I voted yes.

I do not think that England has English as their official language, I know that Australia does not. English is just the language that we speak. People who come here to live learn it if they want to and most do want to.

 

[Lamb]

According to Henry Hitchings new book Language Wars there are only eight nations which do not have an official primary language. These are: the UK, the USA (though 20 states now have one), Pakistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Costa Rica and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

http://www.englishlanguagefaqs.com/2014/05/which-countries-do-not-have-official.html

 

[psalms 91]

We dont have it either but any more you hear spanish and quite a few other things as well. Even the schools have had to have spanish, at least some of them, more and more this is happening and I think you learn english in an english speaking country.

 

[MoreCoffee]

http://www.englishlanguagefaqs.com/2014/05/which-countries-do-not-have-official.html

Australia doesn't have an official language

Australia has no official language, but is largely monolingual with English being the de facto national language. Australian English has a distinctive accent and vocabulary. According to the 2011 census, 76.8% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 1.6%, Italian 1.4%, Arabic 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2% and Greek 1.2%.[1]

A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are bilingual. It is believed that there were almost 400 Australian Aboriginal languages at the time of first European contact. Only about 70 of these languages have survived and all but 30 of these are now endangered. An indigenous language remains the main language for about 50,000 (0.25%) people. Australia has a sign language known as Auslan, which is the main language of about 6,500 deaf people.

-- from this source

 

[dogs4thewin]

We dont have it either but any more you hear spanish and quite a few other things as well. Even the schools have had to have spanish, at least some of them, more and more this is happening and I think you learn english in an english speaking country.

I mean what you speak at home or out with your family and friends is your business, but if you are going to come here learn to speak English when talking to others in business.

 

[Lamb]

I mean what you speak at home or out with your family and friends is your business, but if you are going to come here learn to speak English when talking to others in business.

I don't think anyone is demanding that people eliminate their mother tongue. Communication is key in doing business, having relationships, etc...if people refuse to communicate with others by not learning how to speak to them, then they are the ones failing.