Should English be America's Official, or Common language?
554034
English should be mandatory to live in this country. We shouldn't have to learn another language just to get by in our everyday lives. Not being ignorant or anything. People should be cultural and speak other languages. I just don't think Americans should have to know a second language to get along in life. I also don't think we should have to press one for English on every phone call we make. That should be a given.
15397
american schools should provide bilingual academics to esl students, most definitely. mexican americans are now the largest minority and our culture and language should be preserved, respected, and taught.
688855
there is none.  english is the official language in some states, though, and other states have a non-english language as the official one. for example, hawaiian is the official language of hawaii.
683178
Maybe you should learn to speak, read AND write PROPER ENGLISH, the language spoken in the USA!!!!!!!
152172
It's a form of slang.  The official language of the US is English, the American version of it.
993825
English is the dominant language of the US. It is the common language of our culture. It is also the language for economic success in the US. \n\nHowever, one of our nation's strengths is our diversity. Passage of an "official language" would automatically impose discrimination against those who have legally immigrated and who have gone through the long, rigorous process of acquiring citizenship...many of whom just haven't had time to learn English yet. Learning another language can be quite difficult. \n\nGenerally speaking, those who immigrate from another country and learn English as a second language master it somewhat, poorly, or not at all. Their children, however, who grow up in the US will learn English in the schools and on TV;their mastery of English will be substantially better and not markedly different than the children of non-immigrants. Finally, the grandchildren of the immigrants will identify almost completely as American, their command of English will be every bit as good as any other American's, and almost all of their cultural values will stem largely from American culture. \n\nThere was a time when everyone was fearful of all those German immigrants...or Italians...or Eastern Europeans...etc., etc. But, they're all Americans now, and no sane person is going to suggest that we ban hot dogs, Columbus Day, or the polka.
880501
I think if you live in the US you should know how to speak English.  And when you are out of your home in front of others - like at work, etc, it is rude to speak a different language.
55460
There is no official language. Although some  people would like to belive so. Welcome to America, land of the slaughtered Natives, colonizing Europeans, and modern day monolingual people that would like to belive that because they only know english, so should everyone else. \n\nWelcome to America! Now speak whatever language you please. ;)
652597
If it's the American National Anthem, then of coarse it should be sung in English. English is our national language, like it or not.
822179
No, they would all have to go back to school and learn it.  Let American english be the official language.
959404
Never.  People who come into the United States ought to learn American English.
639445
nothing! and god bless them!  when my ancestors came over they had to learn the English language to survive in this country.  the same should be true of the many Spanish immigrants we have today.  English is the official language of the USA and either choose to learn it or choose to go someplace else.
682123
I think it is a great idea!  We are a nation and we have the right to make an "OFFICIAL" anything.  Other countries have their official language.  We are not saying that you cannot speak other languages, but it should be MANDATORY that anyone who wants to be a citizen, must speak English.
516802
I think because English people are sympathetic towards our American cousins and make that extra effort to not give in to frustration and correct their grammar/spelling at every other corner. Due to the fact that the language most Americans speak is also understood by most native English speakers then they justify it as being English.\nCalling it American would cause a political rift in Anglo-US relations and probably allow the spoken and written accuracy level of American to sink to even further lows than it has already. By keeping English as a role-model, they hope to at least retain some vestige of respect for the history and culture of their country.
367365
greenpeacein79 has a valid point...  America does not have an 'official' language.\n\nIn the early days of the formation of this country, when it came time for our forefathers to write the documents that would lay the foundations of our sovereignty, English beat out German as the language of choice BY ONLY ONE VOTE.\n\nThat said, English is the predominant language used in the U.S., and the language in which all of this country's laws are written.\n\nFurthermore, anybody who wants to be economically viable in the global market, at least at this point in history, needs some command of the English language, it's that simple:  It's not an opinion, it's not a theory...\n\nIt's just a f*****g fact of life,... so get used to it.
422593
I don't think everyone speaking the same language would be a particularly good idea.  Each language has its own interesting features and body of literature and if we all spoke only the one language we'd lose that diversity.\n\nWhat might be a good idea is if every country agreed to teach one particular language as the first "second" language in schools so that when people travelled abroad they could guarantee being able to communicate.  English has this role to some extent, but the trouble is that it is quite a difficult language to learn to speak well.  It is also the first language of many nations and so that puts those who don't speak it as a first language at a disadvantage.  Something easy and neutral like Esperanto might be a good candidate for this... Esperanto has its own problems, but on the whole it's easier to learn than English and is definitely politically neutral.
4171
Well, if you're teaching English to foreign kids here in America, you should use the American culture. But a historical perspective of the English language would also be helpful. Particularly, its origins in Latin and the Romantic languages, Anglo-Saxon, and the differences between British, American, and even Australian English.