Fight for the English Language Essay Example

of Russia and China. The Mongolian government has called this choice a "time of maturity" which is pushing them towards learning.

Prime Minister Elbegdorj is the main force behind this transformation. "Mongolia has been catapulted into the information society and English now proliferates much of the daily life" (Elbegdorj 62). The Mongolians believe that English is the key to other cultures, so they have built more English schools. There is one obstacle however... the price. By 2020, the Prime Minister believes English will be the official second language of Mongolia.

We really need to talk with foreigners and experience other cultures... we want to learn about the world and most of the news about what is happening is in English" (Elbegdorj 62).There have been attempts in America to make English the official language.

So far, 27 states have approved and 8 states are considering it. Also, the senate is pending the idea of adding a provision in the Immigration Bill. Wendy Kosh explains how immigrants who don't learn English as soon as they come into America, never will. Letting immigrants in without proper English, hurts them and us. We think we are helping them[immigrants], but we're not" (Barleta 8A).

The accusation that comes from this idea of English as an official language is not anti-immigration.In fact it encourages it. It is just an idea that will benefit everyone. Government business must be done in English, except voting and emergency services, leaving Spanish speakers at a great disadvantage. Although John Traviosa is against the official-English idea, he agrees that, "People know the key to getting ahead in this country is learning English" (Traviosa 8A). A good way to put it

is, "People are split on immigration.

But on matters of assimilation, they agree immigrants should be on the road to learning English" (Toonkel 8A). David Martin's article explores the reasons for learning English. He believes many countries speak English for economic advantages. English-speaking countries seem to be more closely bonded than other cultural countries.

"... these various English-speaking countries share more with one another than any of them share with other cultural tradition... " (Martin 69) When English and Spanish cultures are compared he emphasizes the difference between them.The English economy is much more advanced than the Spanish economy due to the growing number of English-speaking countries. There is a lack of "economical expansion" in Spanish-speaking countries, such as Latin America, due to the bad conditions and America taking over the economy. "There is a world of difference between El Paso and Tijuana" (Martin 68).

This creates the idea of: while Spanish countries suffer, English countries prosper. If Spanish countries want to exit this time of "depression", they should learn the English language. What is crucial is adaptability and the capacity to devise what other people want" (Martin 68). Samuel Huntington thoroughly examines the aspects of immigration, providing unbiased facts and percents. There has been a massive influx of immigrants coming into the U.S. The problem that has been occurring more and more often, is that Mexicans and other Latinos have not been able to assimilate into America's culture. The inflow from Mexico alone is so great that if the immigration stopped, there would be 3 million fewer immigrants per year.Unlike the Spanish immigrants, European immigrants who came to America assimilated much easier.

This occurred because the European immigrants

were less attached to their culture and therefore accepted the new English culture. But, the Hispanic immigrants have been much more reluctant to change, leading to server economic problems. "The income gap between the United States and Mexico is the largest between any two contiguous countries in the world" (Kennedy). The average Hispanic doesn't have a high school diploma.

"No school system in a major U. S. city has experienced such a large influx of students from a single foreign country.The schools of L. A. are becoming Mexican" (Burgess and Lowenthal). Miami has become a predominately Spanish-speaking city. There are fears that L. A. may be on its way to this problem. After I reviewed all the information I found, I believe there are several conclusions that we can draw.

The first step to realizing why there is a need for English to become the official language of the U. S. is to look at the countries from which the immigrants come. The economic, demographic, and political standpoints of the country are the main contributors to immigration.For example, because of Mexico's terrible conditions, there has been an incredible increase in immigration from Mexico to the U. S.

Today, Mexican immigrants are 25% of the legal immigrants sent to the U. S. each year. After these immigrants are in the U. S., they seem to avoid assimilating into our country's culture and ethics. Although, there are European and Asian immigrants as well, Spanish immigrants seem to have a little more loyalty, creating a split in the U. S. Our economy takes a great hit by this problem. The average education of a Spanish-speaking immigrant is high school.

This means that

there are so few immigrants going to college or learning English that our economy must cope with this loss of trade and growth. Although many immigrants come into the U. S. legally, there are also many coming in illegally. These "illegal aliens" are pretty much stealing from our economy, which is the same as stealing from us. When we pay our tax dollars for doctors, dentists, and teachers, we do not think that someone can get all those benefits without paying a cent.

Wrong! Illegal immigrants take free health care and dental care.It steals from the doctors and the dentists as well as us. My perspective on this subject is that making English the official language of the United States would benefit everyone, especially our economy. In a more personal approach, I see this as a great way to make communication easier and give everyone a better chance to get ahead or out of debt. If English doesn't become the official language of the U.S. , we will lose our national identity, as well as the most advanced economy in the world. This issue should be of top importance because many Americans are affected by this problem every day.I believe that by 2020, English will be made the official language of the U.S. 27 states have already approved of this. These facts prove that English needs to become the official language of the United States. Our economy is losing much value and we are in turn being harshly affected by the outcomes of immigration.

Just ask yourself: Am I going to change my country or are they going to change for my country? I am confident that

your answer is the same as a majority of the U. S. citizens today. Not knowing English in America is like an elephant living in the ocean... it just doesn't work.