Should English be the Language of Choice?

If you want to live in America, should you be required to speak our language? Should we hold debates in Spanish, like the Univision debate last night? Should we be willing to have to post signs in 10 different languages?

Yes, I believe that since English was the founding language and is still the predominant language in our culture, it should be taught in school to all immigrants, and used as the main language.

Absolutely!!

Fluency in english should be a prerequisite for application for citizenship, or any legal residency.

If you want to live here learn the language. If I wanted to live in France (like that would ever happen ) I wouldn't expect the the french to cater to my native language, I would learn bloody french!!

YoungStonewall

I do believe that to become a citizen you should be able to speak fluent English.

About posting signs in different languages though. I'm totally clear on what you mean by having to post signs in 10 different languages. Would you like to go to another country and not be able to find a single english sign?


This is what I would look like.

I don't know if you ought to be "fluent in english" to apply for citizenship. Sure, you ought to know english, and since it takes so blasted long to become a citizen you have plenty of time (5-7 years or something). But I don't think you need to be required to be "fluent." Actually, I guess it depends on your definition of fluent. How good do you need to know english to be fluent? Know it as well as I do? I have relatives (by law) who don't know english nearly as well as me, they grew up somewhere else. They've been citizens for a long time, and I have no problem not letting a person become a citizen if he is not fluent. Some people who've grown up in another country cannot become fluent, it's just too hard to learn it.