Abolishing Monolinguism The Importance of Leaning Another Language

“The Sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language. ” Unknown

English The Official Language of the United States? ? What do you think? Is it important to learn another language? Why are we afraid of becoming bilingual? Spanish is here to stay

Find Out How Much You Know A little quiz

1. English became the official language of the Unites States by: a) A Constitutional provision drafted by the Founding Fathers b) A Supreme Court Decision c) A bill signed into law by President Reagan d) English is not the official language of the United States

language of the Unites States by: D English is not the official language of the United States

2. How many states offer driver’s license exams in languages other than English? A) 4 B) 14 C) 24 D) 44

2. How many states offer driver’s license exams in languages other than English? D 44

3. Under existing federal law, it is legal for state and local governments to declare Spanish their only official language? A) True B) False

3. Under existing federal law, it is legal for state and local governments to declare Spanish their only official language? A True

4. Endorsing legislation known as “English Plus” would: A) Encourage people to learn more than one language B) Prevent English from becoming the official language of the United States C) Foster understanding between people of different ethnic groups D) None of the above

4. Endorsing legislation known as “English Plus” would: B Prevent English from becoming the official language of the United States

5. Approximately what percentage of immigrants support laws to make English the official language of the United States? A) 20% B) 33% C) 55% D) 70%

5. Approximately what percentage of immigrants support laws to make English the official language of the United States? D 70%

6. Which of the following countries have an official language? A) Israel B) France C) Mexico D) All of the above

6. Which of the following countries have an official language? D All of the above

More than two-thirds of the Web Pages are in English A) True B) False

More than two-thirds of the Web Pages are in English A True

8. In order to become a U. S. citizen, an applicant must: A) Demonstrate an ability to speak English B) Participate in a swearing-in ceremony conducted in English C) Have paperwork in order D) All of the Above

8. In order to become a U. S. citizen, an applicant must: D All of the Above

Foreign Languages Are Important Because… Can improve SAT and ACT scores Improve analytic & interpretive capacity Can lead to future job promotions Help in understanding other cultures It will improve your English Helps develop greater listening & Retention skills

Foreign Languages Are Important Because. . . Help language skills Create positive attitude towards: Other Languages Other Cultures Increase self-esteem

Why Learn … GERMAN The largest, wealthiest nation in EU, 3 rd in GNP JAPANESE Major trading partner LATIN Builds strong vocabulary and language skills

What Are We Afraid of? El Cenizo 1999 El Cenizo a Texas town adopted Spanish as the official language. Many people were upset at this monolingual attitude Why the double standard?

Why Is Spanish a Detriment? Is it wrong to speak to your child in Spanish? According to a Texas court it is Mother found guilty

What do you think? “…It’s eminently fair that a country’s official language should be the language of the majority. ” Ayn Rand

Why Spanish Is Important 250 million native speakers In 20 years, 1/6 people will be Hispanic 300 million people speak it Travel Large business market $220. 2 Billion in purchasing power

Why Spanish Is Important NAFTA 3 rd most spoken language in the world After Chinese & English 2 nd in the world when: Only native speakers are counted

Did you know? 27 states have an “English Only” policy Michigan is not one of them Hawaii is officially Bilingual “English Only” has been declared Unconstitutional in two states.

So What Is “English Only? ” Can establish English as the official language Limits government assistance Restriction of bilingual education Forbid non-English government services Courtroom translation Emergency phone services

The World Is Shrinking “… Economy and technology are fast creating an interdependent global village. Fluency in more than one language will be necessary for the average person wishing to maximize his/her potential. ”

Globalization “Attitudes towards monolingual have no place in a global society. ” The world is getting smaller everyday Big businesses work closely w/other countries We can’t be left behind

Is It Too Late? It’s never too late in life to learn a new skill For many, Spanish is a language with the most rewards and least effort

What Does It Take To Be Successful Rigorous Teacher Education Effective Strategies Strong Policy Assessment Maintenance of: Heritage Regional Indigenous Languages

What Does The U. S. Need To Do? Start early Learn from others Research Improve teacher education Assessment Designate foreign language as a core subject

Final Thoughts We need to stop having teachers defend foreign languages Help our children learn the importance of language at a young age Learn from other countries

“Language is not merely the conjunction of grammar and vocabulary but also communication and better understanding among individuals and nations. No longer can we afford to live isolated in a monolingual society that is forever inward-looking. Great challenges lie beyond our shores, worlds to discover and know. Languages are the golden key to unlock these vistas. ”

WORKS CITED Hilt, Douglass. “Foreign Language Learning: Why Bother? ” ADFL Bulletin #14, (September 1982) pg. 5 -7. Pufahl, Ingrid and Nancy C. Rhodes, Donna Christian. “Foreign Language Teaching, What the United States Can Learn From Other Countries, ” Website, December 2002. www. cal. org/ericcll/digest/0106 pufahl. html Unknown. “Why Learn Spanish, Spanish for Beginners, ” Website, 2002. http: //spanish. about. com/library/beginning/nbl-beg-introwhy. htm. Vassen, Robert. Professor and Assistant Director of English Language Center, Michigan State University. Oral Interview, June 5, 2003.