First of all, I chose this language issue to show you the linguistic diversity produced by the long-ago migrations to the United States. Immigration to the United States caused a whole variety of different languages to be spoken there.
To possess an official language is of great importance within a country
because it would be the language the whole nation will use for many purposes,
such as, legal, educational, administrative, etc. In this context, English is
the most spoken language in the United States, but is not official at the
federal level . However, many states independently have modified their own
legislation which declare English as their own official language.
The second most spoken language is Spanish, followed by approximately
300 other languages. This reflects a great beauty that lies in its cultural
diversity. In this fashion, the linguistic variety in this country gives a
sense of belonging and defines their identity, making it a multicultural and
multilingual country.
As in many places, there are
people for and against the formalization of English language in the U.S.A. On one
hand, some of the reasons for not
formalizing the English language are: the social value of foreign languages
knowledge, a belief in tolerance for linguistic diversity, and the cultural
freedom of those who come from another country. On the other hand, the ones who are for
this formalization believe that the English language may unit people as a nation, and also that the
linguistic assimilation of only one spoken language is beneficial to the social
order and wellness.
Now, how do you think the
formalization of a language may influence the country's identity?
Do you think that the U.S.A would
lose its freedom and multicultural identity if it formalizes English as an official
language?
Here
I leave you with a web site where you can identify the different spoken
languages in the U.S.A.
I didn't know that english wasn't the official language of this country until miss Maureen told us.
ResponderEliminarBut now I'm wondering if this variety implies that people can speak different languages at the same time, I mean, are they able to speak english and another language? Or the variety means that there are different groups speaking their native languages? Local people, those who were born in the US.. do they speak the other most spoken languages? I think that the most common practice is not that, I guess immigrants achieve the english as the second language.
This linguistic variety does not imply that all the people speak different languages, but what it does is that many people from different states can speak more than one language if they want.
ResponderEliminarLocal people speak English mainly; however, they speak other languages according to their needs.
Additionally, there are also people that speak their native language. For instance, people that come from another country by migrations.
Independently, many states have their own official language. Consequently, it creates a multilingual nation.
For example, Hawaiians speak English and Hawaiian languages and in Puerto Rico they speak English and Spanish. The same way it happens with many others states.