Should English be the official language of United States?
Bilingualism is a popular topic in recent years. More and more people try to against it or argue for it. Generally, Bilingualism means the regular use of two languages in everyday communication. Objectively speaking, bilingualism creates many negative effects. Like Mauro E. Mujica who is chairman and CEO of U.S English Inc., said, bilingualism can makes financial burden, divisions of national unity and even some seriously human injury events. Base on these kinds of issues, some people support that English should be the only official language of United States. But even if these negative effects are truly exits, I still think bilingualism is necessary. English shouldn’t be the only official language of United States.
Set up English be the official language obliviously bad for people learning second language. Study and use of second language is beneficial to people. Firstly, Childhood bilingual teaching can develop human brain. “Last December, Petitto, a world-renowned cognitive neuroscientist and a developmental cognitive neuroscientist..…..how children learn to read, and the effects of early bilingual language exposure on the developing brain and its functions”(Allison Polk). The result of this research shows us benefits of bilingualism. “The findings resulting from the use of technology like that at BL2 also indicate that biologically, the human brain performs better with early exposure to multiple languages”(Allison Polk). Dr Petitto’s research proves that bilingualism is very useful and helpful for human brain. Childhood bilingual teaching is very important for United State, but if English be the official language, it is bound to affect the bilingual teaching. It’s not good for develop human brain. In the same way, thinking in bilingualism way is also benefits for American’s brain. James Fallow is the Washington editor of Atlantic. He give us this “Ninety-nine percent of all Americans’ can happily live their lives speaking and thinking about no language but English. Foreign- language education has been falling off, and except in unusual circumstances —-wars, mainly—-it has never had much practical reinforcement anyway.”(James Fallows). It shows us how bad to people’s mind if United States give up bilingualism. People who live in America will give up thinking in other ways except English. It will be a huge loss for United States. Set English be the only official language obviously will make this kind of result.
On the other hand, language is a tool for human communication. Set English be the official language and limited bilingualism is contrary to the nature of language. First time when I was arrived United State, Everyone speak English or Spanish. It makes me feel nervous. One day I went to a Chinese restaurant. Everyone there was speaking Chinese. That was the first time I felt relaxed and safety in the United States. So actually language is a tool of social recognition which brings a sense of safety and belonging to immigrants who are not English speaker. Setting English is the official language; it is also deprived of a part of the American sense of belonging and a sense of safety. In the same way, in areas where loads of people speak other languages, that non-English language is of more universal application and higher productivity. Force use of language may bring an inefficiency and inconvenience to people. For example, some kinds of job need high language skills like teacher and lawyer. It will be really hard to speak second language in this kind of job. That will extremely unfriendly for a worker who comes from Non-English-speaking country if set English be the official language. It’s also bad for attractive talented person from other Non-English-speaking country to United States. We all know talented person is the most valuable precious in the world now. Set English be the official language of United States just like set up a barrier for blocking the talent into United States. United States should create a wide environment for talent. Create an unfriendly language environment to block people who didn’t speak English is totally bad for United States. Susana C. Schultz who comes from Strictly Spanish LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio also points that “Employers always want to train employees in their native languages. When employees understand the tasks they are required to do without the language barriers, they do a better job and are more profitable for the employer, safety and morale are improved. Employers want their employees to fully understand the terms of their employment. Employee manuals are offered in the native language of the employees. Companies do business in other countries and all materials and labeling must be offered in the native language.” (Susana C. Schultz).So a wide language environment is not an only wish from workers who works United States. Companies in United States generally believe bilingualism is benefits for the company. It’s no reason to against most of company in America to make English be official language.
Some people believe that set English is official language is helpful for unity United States But it’s not true. Unified of languages actually is not the best way to solving the unity issues of a country. S.I.Hayakawa points that, “While it is certainly true that our love of freedom and devotion to democratic principles help to unite and give us mutual purpose, it is English, our common language, that enables us to discuss our views and allows us to maintain a well-informed electorate, the cornerstone of democratic government”(S.I.Hayakawa). He tries to prove that is English connected people together. It’s English build United States government. So United States needs English to be the official language. But it’s not true. As we all know .There are many kinds of country and language in Europe. Some of them have their own and only official languages, like France set French be their official language, British set English be their official language. It’s still many countries have at least two kinds of language be their official language. The most typical example of these countries is Switzerland. Switzerland has four different languages for the country. They are German, French, Italian and Romansch. Diversity official language really helps Switzerland keep different culture and different nation in Switzerland. It also balanced many conflicts from different people who speak different languages. That successfully makes Switzerland become a politically neutral country. Because of Switzerland is a neutral country, Switzerland avoids any damage from World War II ,saved at least four million people’s life during the horrible war and avoid being destroyed or split by the Nazis. Many country split after the World War II because Nazi’s invasion. But Switzerland never split and still is the one of most peaceful country in the world. So it’s not English or only one official language cans unity a country. Diversity official language and Bilingualism can unity United States in a better way.
Bilingualism is Benefits to United States to have ability to deal with the rest of the world; learning a second language is also a way of knowing about that countries. Nowadays, The world increasingly globalization. There are over 500 kinds of languages in the world. Bilingualism is the better way to connect the world. Set up English be the official language actually close some ways to communicate to the world. In addition set English is official language of United States will blocking some talented people and workers into United States. It also have disadvantage for economic development of United States. Banks in Switzerland are the most famous and richest banks in the world. One of reason is Switzerland have many kind of official languages. Bilingualism actually developed Switzerland‘s bank. Different official languages attractive different kind of funds in to Switzerland’s bank. Bilingualism service can also make customers who are from any country to feel comfortable. Some Customers believes that use different kinds of language to sign the agreement and send message is more safety than use only one language. The reason bank in Switzerland can do these kinds of things all thanks to a variety of official language.
All in all, bilingualism is necessary in United States. In terms of macro, it can help United States make better communication to other country and help develop economic. Attractive more talented people come into United States. It also Unify United States in a better way. For personal, bilingualism can help people develop their brain, open people’s mind. It also helps company recruiting more staff and give staff or workers more wide language environment. Language actually is a tool for human communication, set any limit to influence human communication is contrary to common sense. So, should English be the only official language of United States? The answer is no. Set English be the only official language obviously bad for bilingualism in United States. Basis on many kinds of benefits in bilingualism. There is no reason to set English be the only official language. Even if today it’s still many people argue for this, I still firmly deem that English shouldn’t be the only official language of United States.
Work cited
S.I.Hyakawa “Bilingualism In America: English Should Be The Only Language.”
Mauro E.Mujica “Why The U.S. Needs an Official language”
James Fallows “Viva Bilingualism”
Allison Polk “Bilingualism and The Brain”
Susana C. Schultz “Official Language of the United States and its Impact on the Translation Industry”
