Language Debate: Perhaps those who obsess that English should be the "official" language of the U.S.

[Darth_Kitten]

ought to study the language more closely themselves.

I don't know what the statistics are in the U.S., but in Canada it's estimated that 42% of the population are either functionally illiterate, semi-literate, or function only up to a Grade 6 level. There is a problem here.
I would suggest that some of those who hypocritically put down immigrants and others for not learning English well (and it's a hard language to master) study it a little further themselves.

We can all use a little refresher now and again. :)

[RB TexLa]

1. I think it's mainly the ignorant who want the official language status for English.

[jody]

2. I agree, we should require every government document to be printed in every language spoken in the

U.S. and we should require every product and service offered for sale to be priced in the currency of every language spoken.

[Cassandra]

3. Was there a strawman sale somewhere...

that we hadn't heard about?

[salin]

6. jinx!

at least that's what we said as a kid when two folks said the same thing at about the same time. :D

[salin]

5. That would only be the case if ALL languages were considered "official"

your argument is a classic strawman. Not having English as an official language does not mean that currently every government document is prented in every language spoken in the US - or this would be the current practice.

I don't think I could find my state's drivers test written in mandarin, portugese, or tagalog (or many others) but I do know folks in this state who speak those languages.

Sorry but this isn't a binary issue of "1 = English as official Language" or "0 = All languages must be respected and all gov't. doc.s and currency must be printed in all spoken languages". Nice try, though.

[msongs]

10. come to california, the DL test is available in many languages nt

[Clear Blue Sky]

7. Not to mention signs posted in every spoken language.

[treestar]

9. Other countries can handle it

In this country, English and Spanish are not unreasonable. English is the primary language and Spanish a secondary language. This is simply a fact.

The government documents are produced in Spanish for the convenience of the government bureaucrats. It allows them to process whatever they are doing faster.

There isn't a similar government interest in producing the documents in say Swedish, because it would be too rare to run across someone for whom that was a first language.

[Clovis Sangrail]

4. both the US and Canada have 99% literacy

literacy meaning people over 15 years old are capable of reading and writing.
they might not do either well but they can read road signs etc.

google "literacy rates"

[treestar]

8. It always amazes me - the ignorant who barely know the grammar

of English, getting affronted over the existence of those who are actually functioning in a second language!

[KG]

11. i think the US ought to have a president that speaks english.

it would set a good example. :eyes: