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Unread 18-07-2006, 13:34
Jaine Perotti Jaine Perotti is offline
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Re: Voting on making English the official US language (Was: "Hm...")

Quote:
Originally Posted by KenWittlief
Staying on the topic of a national language, I seem to recall hearing that very soon (maybe already) white anglo saxons will be a minority in the US

maybe thats what this is really all about - certain groups feel they are losing their control over the country, and are going to do what they can while they are still in power.

Power is one of the major motives behind human actions. When you feel you are losing control some people go off the deep end.
The statements that have been made by "English Only" advocacy groups only serve to support this statement. Read these:

Quote:
Originally Posted by ProEnglish (advocacy group)
Today America's linguistic unity, which enabled the melting-pot crucible to forge one nation out of millions of immigrants from all over the world, is under attack as never before. Record numbers of non-English speaking immigrants threaten to overwhelm the assimilative process.
Quote:
Originally Posted by U.S. English (advocacy group)
Gobernar es poblar translates "to govern is to populate." In this society where the majority rules, does this hold? Will the present majority peaceably hand over its political power to a group that is simply more fertile? ... Can homo contraceptivus compete with homo progenitiva [sic] if borders aren't controlled? Or is advice to limit one's family simply advice to move over and let someone else with greater reproductive powers occupy the space? ... Perhaps this is the first instance in which those with their pants up are going to get caught by those with their pants down! ...

How will we make the transition from a dominant non-Hispanic society with a Spanish influence to a dominant Spanish society with a non-Hispanic influence? ... As Whites see their power and control over their lives declining, will they simply go quietly into the night? Or will there be an explosion? ... We're building in a deadly disunity. All great empires disintegrate, we want stability.
Draw your own conclusions.

On the other hand, read the following statements by the Linguistic Society of America:
Quote:
1. The vast majority of the world's nations are at least bilingual, and most are multilingual, even if one ignores the impact of modern migrations. Countries in which all residents natively speak the same language are a small exception, certainly not the rule. Even nations like France, Germany and the United Kingdom have important linguistic minorities within their borders. Furthermore, where diverse linguistic communities exist in one country, they have generally managed to coexist peacefully. Switzerland and Finland are only two of many examples. Where linguistic discord does arise, as in Quebec, Belgium, or Sri Lanka, it is generally the result of majority attempts to disadvantage or suppress a minority linguistic community, or it reflects underlying racial or religious conflicts. Studies have shown that multilingualism by itself is rarely an important cause of civil discord.

2. The territory that now constitutes the United States was home to hundreds of languages before the advent of European settlers. These indigenous languages belonged to several major language families. Each native language is or was a fully developed system of communication with rich structures and expressive power. Many past and present members of the Society have devoted their professional lives to documenting and analyzing the native languages of the United States.

3. Unfortunately, most of the indigenous languages of the United States have become extinct or are severely threatened. All too often their
eradication was deliberate government policy. In other cases, these languages suffered from simple neglect. The decline of America's indigenous languages has been closely linked to the loss of much of the culture of its speakers.

4. Because of this history, the Society believes that the government and people of the United States have a special obligation to enable our indigenous peoples to retain their languages and cultures. The Society strongly supports the federal recognition of this obligation, as expressed in the Native American Languages Act. The Society urges federal, state and local governments to affirmatively implement the policies of the Act by enacting legislation, appropriating sufficient funds, and monitoring the progress made under the Act.

5. The United States is also home to numerous immigrant languages other than English. The arrival of some of these languages, such as Dutch, French, German, and Spanish, predates the founding of our nation. Many others have arrived more recently. The substantial number of residents of the United States who speak languages other than English presents us with both challenges and opportunities.

6. The challenges of multilingualism are well known: incorporating linguistic minorities into our economic life, teaching them English so they can participate more fully in our society, and properly educating their children. Unfortunately, in the process of incorporating immigrants and their offspring into American life, bilingualism is often wrongly regarded as a "handicap" or "language barrier." Of course, inability to speak English often functions as a language barrier in the United States. But to be bilingual--to speak both English and another language--should be encouraged, not stigmatized. There is no convincing evidence that bilingualism by itself impedes cognitive or educational development. On the contrary, there is evidence that it may actually enhance certain types of intelligence.

7. Multilingualism also presents our nation with many benefits and opportunities. For example, bilingual individuals can use their language skills to promote our business interests abroad. Their linguistic competence strengthens our foreign diplomatic missions and national defense. And they can better teach the rest of us to speak other languages.

8. Moreover, people who speak a language in addition to English provide a role model for other Americans. Our national record on learning other languages is notoriously bad. A knowledge of foreign languages is necessary not just for immediate practical purposes, but also because it gives people the sense of international community that America requires if it is to compete successfully in a global economy.

9. To remedy our past policies towards the languages of Native Americans and to encourage acquisition or retention of languages other than English by all Americans, the Linguistic Society of America urges our nation to protect and promote the linguistic rights of its people. At a minimum, all residents of the United States should be guaranteed the
following linguistic rights:

A. To be allowed to express themselves, publicly or privately, in the
language of their choice.

B. To maintain their native language and, should they so desire, to
pass it on to their children.

C. When their facilities in English are inadequate, to be provided a
qualified interpreter in any proceeding in which the government
endeavors to deprive them of life, liberty or property. Moreover, where
there is substantial linguistic minority in a community, interpretation
ought to be provided by courts and other state agencies in any matter that
significantly affects the public.

D. To have their children educated in a manner that affirmatively
addresses their linguistic deficiencies in English. Children can only
learn when they understand their teachers. As a consequence, some use of
their native language is often desirable to educate them successfully.

E. To conduct business and to communicate with the public in the
language of their choice.

F. To use their preferred language for private conversations in the
workplace.

G. To learn to speak, read and write English, so that they can fully
participate in the educational and economic life of this nation. All
levels of government should adequately fund programs to teach English to
any resident who desires to learn it.

10. Notwithstanding the multilingual history of the United States, the role of English as our common language has never seriously been questioned. Research has shown that newcomers to America continue to learn English at rates comparable to previous generations of immigrants. Our government has a legitimate interest in ensuring that this trend continues by promoting the widespread knowledge of English. Nonetheless, promoting our common language need not, and should not, come at the cost of violating the rights of linguistic minorities.
Just some food for thought. I would encourage you to browse the various advocacy websites... many vary greatly in terms of the spectrum of views presented.
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