Would designating English as the "national language" of the United States promote national unity?

Yes 63% 61987 votes

No 37% 36517 votes

Total: 98504 votes

Your thread title is incorrect and doesn't match your survey.

"English only" and "English as official language" are two different things.

I would fully support English being designated the Official Language of the USA.

I would further this though by REQUIRING that ALL kids manditorily learn at least two others, starting from kindergaten.

For example, Singapore (unlike America) has English officially designated as their official language. However, you cannot advance to the next grade in school if you are not passing your Mandarin, and "other" language classes. Everyone speaks at least two, if not three languages. Take a look at this and you will understand WHY they are the business hub of all of Asia.

In the USA English should be the National language, with kids being required to learn at least one or two others. I would promote Mandarin and Farsi.

Wouldn't immigrants be able to get higher end jobs in America if they spoke English?

If they want to stay on the bottom end of the economic scale, not speaking English is a step in that direction.

That is a good point Adroomi. I for one would like to see a second language be a requirement.

8track,

Yes, they would. However we already covered this didn't we?

Learning English in NOT all that easy when you live in a community that does NOT speak English, and you have not money to pay a teacher to teach you.

You may not realize it, but there are entire communities in the USA (hundreds if not thousands of them), where the signage, the language, the people, and the restaraunts look VERY strange to English only speakers.

I know of folks that live in America, yet have NEVER seen or heard a "white" man speak in real life.

But yes, they would get better jobs if they spoke english.

And I've often thought about the danger when immigrants come here and refuse to learn the language. Somehow they get a driver's license, but they can't read/understand highway signs. How many terrible traffic accidents ensue because of being unable to read the sign?

Tuck,

In my memory....I can think of none.

Well, That's the reason that the official language of Air Traffic Control, is English . . . Can you imagine what a nightmare London Approach Control would be if every aircraft was speaking in their native tongue ?

Everything I get in the mail from the state of Minnesota comes in about 9 languages. a one page notice costs them 57 cents to mail.