Debate: English as US national language

[]

[]

[]

[]

Should English be the national language of the United States?

Background and Context of Debate:

The United States of America, contrary to a large majority of all countries (92%), does not not have any official language at federal level, with English holding this place de facto (but not de iure). Is it time for the U.S. to catch up? Should English be the US national language? Should the US even have a national language?

[]

[]

[]

[]

Write Subquestion here...

[]

Yes

• English has been used as an official language in the US historically. The U.S. was founded by 13 British colonies. Both the US declaration of independence and US constitution are written in English.

• English is the most widely spoken language in the US. Overwhelming majority of the US citizens already speaks English, for a major part of them English is a mother tongue, so if there is to be one official language, English is clearly the most natural and logical choice. In addition, 30 U.S. states have already enacted laws making English their official language.

• English as official language is widely supported by US general public. Numerous polls, via Rasmussen, Harvard, etc, have shown that the majority of American citizens, both American born and Naturalized citizens, agree that English should be instated as an official language.

• Bilingual initiatives are costly. Being bi-lingual is not a bad thing, it is a great asset to Americans and people of other countries alike, but maintaining bilingual education is costly.

[]

No

• Melting pot. America is a very diverse country that has been culturally enriched by immigrants from around the world. As a sign of respect to all these people it should not limit its citizens by introducing English as the only official language.

[]

[]

[]

[]

[]

Write Subquestion here...

[]

Yes

Click on the pencil icon and research and write arguments here

[]

No

Click on the pencil icon and research and write arguments here

[]

[]

[]

[]

Pro/Con sources

[]

Yes

• Issues in U.S. Language Policy Proposition 227: Anti-Bilingual Education Initiative in California

[]

No

Click on the pencil icon and research and write arguments here

See also

• Debate: One official EU language
• Debate: Should english be the global language?
• Debate: Should everyone in the world speak the same language?
• Debate: Preservation of languages

External links and resources

• "Why English Is Not the "Official Language" of the United States", by Bernie Reeves, November 2009
• "Should English Be the Official Language of the United States of America?", by Kathleen McDade, January 2008
• "The Official Language of the United States and its Impact on the Translation Industry", published by Strictly Spanish
• Should English be declared America's national language? A nation of immigrants considers the pros and cons of giving English official status