THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH

In our everyday conversations with one another, we all use a neutral vocabulary that everybody in the conversation knows. A mode of conversation in which an Italian will converse with an American and they communicate simply because they are not using their natural language, but rather a neutral language. The mode of communication links a young boy to his seniors and businessmen from various countries and continents. A shared contact language will simplify this and eliminate any language gaps that could have occurred if the participants used their native individual languages.

In this article, I will talk about the English language. Before I go further, I shall outline a brief history of the language. The English language is a West Germanic dialect which first originated from Anglo- Frisian. It was later on introduced in Britain in the mid-5th to 7th centuries AD by Germanic settlers; which is currently known as Northwest Germany, West Denmark, and the Netherlands. The English spoken by the Norman Conquest, the Middle English, originated from the old English of the Anglo- Saxon era. The language underwent quite a number of transitions before finally settling as the English that is used now.

On August 1 of 1996, the U.S House of representatives approved a bill that would make English an official language in the United States of America. The voting was a win by 259 out of 169 of those opposing the motion and the republican having 223. This really brought lots of questioning and thoughts on the appropriateness of English as the official language.

Position

Should English be made an official language? I do agree that a common language is necessary. This a question that has really cracked the newly elected officials in Canada. It has caused a lot of unrest in the country. As a matter of fact, it has contributed to several issues such as social unrest, terrorism, threats of separation and a referendum that came within a hair’s breadth of breaking up Canada, as stated in Charles Krauthammer’s book,” Let’s Make it Official”. Each and every individual has his/her own native language that they came to learn from their parents. Every individual has the right to use their own language in a conversation as part of the bill of rights which guarantees freedom of expression. In Canada, there are lots of people from different countries and continents, it is essentially a melting pot of cultures. From this perspective, it would seem unfair for the citizens to be forced to learn a language which they may not be keen on learning. This point is strengthened when Robert D. King, in his book,” Should English Be the Law?” States that George I spoke no English and yet he spent most of his time away from England while attempting to use his power of his kingship to shore up his German possessions (Usconstitution.net, 2017).

Lack of a common language can result in chaos of unforetold magnitude. It is in this vein that a common language such as English should be made into the national language. If everyone speaks their own language, how will we interact with the doctors? Road signs? At work? In school? Simple tasks such as erecting road signs, writing hospital reports and communicating within multinational companies would become a nightmare. Picture a scenario where the doctors speak a different native language from that of the patient, emergency procedures would take longer and reports would take unnecessarily long to prepare as translators would be mandatory in several cases; as a matter of fact, there would be a communication breakdown. In 1981, Senator S.I. Hayakawa, a long and leading critic of bilingual ballots, introduced in the U.S. senate a constitutional amendment that not only would not only make English the official language but would have also prohibited federal and state laws and regulations requiring the use of other languages (Crawford, 2017). The aim of this proposed law was to make communication and understanding easier.

Countries should allow their citizens to use any language for communication so as to maintain peace, unity and also avoid racism in their countries. Countries such as Italy, for example, is full of racism and violence simply because they only speak one language and not ready to accommodate any other language (King, 1997).When different languages are appreciated in a country and treasured, the country will have peace and harmony.

In the books of history, for example, “Let’s Make it Official, by Charles K Krauthammer,” it is noted that America’s great success as the first “Universal nation” for assimilating immigrants was because they acquired English and made it official. This made it easier for them to assimilate any immigrant because communication was easier for them and understanding were enhanced since English was used everywhere and by every citizen.

The Flip Side

However, there is a flip side to this conversation; the side the sees it as unnecessary to adopt English as a common language. Opponents argue out that giving English a special and official status is unnecessary and racist. Immigrants are accepted in all countries very well and nothing happens. They proudly teach their children and their off springs their native language but as well, speak English when need be and when interacting with people from different countries without any problem arising. English should be treated like any other language. As much as this has elements of logic to it, my opinion is that this approach shall only function to a point. When rapid communication is required across a group of different individuals with distinct ethnicities, lack of a common language can be a real deal breaker. Additionally, this helps the government and multinational business save money since they do not have to hire translators.

There is also the argument that adoption of English as a common language can dilute the local languages and customs. Different languages identify and distinguish different nations and cultures from each other and make it easier to appreciate their norms and preserve them. However, saying that English dilutes these languages is tricky due to the fact that this is a subjective view rather than an objective view. As much as English may actually cause a slight dilution effect on these languages and cultures, it is also true that a common language shall make it much easier to spread and understand various cultures. A common language boosts cultural sensitivity.

Additionally, Jacob Grimm noted that “a nation is the totality of people who spoke the same language.” From this perspective, a country full of mixed language (and lacking common language) is like a cooking different types of meals in one pot. The end result would be very disgusting and inedible. This explains that a country full of different languages will cause commotion, confusion and lack of understanding and agreement in all sectors and walks of the country. Importantly, such a state would not have unity since no one can rally the other for help, it is essentially a divided state.

Multilingualism is the usage of more than one language for the purpose of daily communication. This is the most advised way of living. Endeavoring to employ several languages in communication is an indication of tolerance and desirable; it can help avoid wrangles, crime, and racism. An example of a country that has exemplified the multiple uses of languages is Switzerland which uses French, German and Italian as its official languages. This helps keep the country united and attracts tourists (Edwards, 2012).

Most people will ask “whose mother tongue is English? Where did it originate from?” Why should it be made official? The answer to this is because it will be used for communication. As for now, we go as per the generation. In this era, English is the most common used language. It’s a shame that most teenagers really cannot speak in their mother tongue so fluently than how they speak in English but at times situations and circumstances do force. Competition is at its peak hence the need to learn English is key.

We all know that there is freedom of speech and hence, making English an official language could be a violation of this rule. However, this is not entirely the case, it could only be a violation if the language was forced on the people. In our homes, we cannot be forced to do what we do not want. This gives you the freedom of using any language of your choice with no one questioning you nor charging you. From this perspective, English as a common language is not invasive (Rich, 2013).

In a statistic conducted, it shows that around 36 states use English as their official language. It is only a matter of time before the remaining 19 states follow suit. However, the fear of making English the official language will make immigrants think twice about going to America for studies or work related programs. The immigrants will feel out of place if they are forced to drop their native language and start learning a new language so as to fit into the new system. Even though making English an official language is being opposed by many, it is for the well-being of their country. It will make it easier for the immigrants to communicate with other Americans and also opens doors for job opportunities just as the same way as the Americans. English being an official language will end government translations which, in most cases, delays the assimilation of English and they also hold back the immigrants from learning English and reaching to their fullest potential.

One thing that has made America great is the freedom which the country provides to the immigrants. People from different countries come to America to live there due to different reasons. One of them being Education or maybe they won a green card lottery hence making U.S a diverse country full of different cultures. This gives the immigrants a feeling of acceptance and freedom of being who they are without faking it and also have the psyche of doing more. The people can really learn a lot about different cultures in America and how they carry out their day to day routine. This can only be possible through the usage of English. Without English being made the official language, its frequent usage by different people from different states already makes it be rated as one.

It has always been stated that English is the national language and one must learn English so as to survive in America (p.484). For most of the immigrants who moved to America and they are non- English speakers, they were forced to learn it so that they can easily fit in the system and also communicate with people easily. Most immigrants move to America so as to have a better and more comfortable life and knowing English is a major stepping stone to making their dreams come true.

Conclusion

A common language is a necessity in the modern era where the world is rapidly becoming a small village. The concepts of globalization and globalization have exemplified the importance of a common language. However, the native cultures of the various nations and cultures must be preserved as well so that the world can enjoy the diversity hat contributes to its functionality.

References

Crawford, J. (2017, February 25). Language loyalties. Retrieved from languagepolicy.net: http://www.languagepolicy.net/archives/LLED.htm

Edwards, J. (2012). Multilingualism: Understanding Linguistic Diversity. London: Bloomsbury Academic; 1 edition.

King, R. D. (1997). Should English Be the Law? Chicago: theantlantic.com.

Rich, A. (2013). The dream of a common language: Poems 1974-1977. New York: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition.

Usconstitution.net. (2017, February 25). Constitutional topic: Official language. Retrieved from Usconstitution.net: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_lang.html

Reference

Robert D. King Should English Be the Law? Atlantic, 1997, (p.483-492).

Charles Krauthammer in Plain English Let’s Make it Official Time, 2006 (p.493-495).

The Atlantic Monthly; April 1997; Should English Be the Law? Volume 279, No.4 (p.55-64)