Broken English-Only World Analysis

Some might agree with the belief that to live in the United States of America, that person should speak English, not just broken English, fluent English. Even though America has no official language, English is the most commonly spoken language in the US. Some consider it fairly important that if one is to live in America, then they must speak English but is this actually realistic? To make immigrants come into this “melting pot” country and demand they learn a new language seems a little demanding. While it does cost more money to finance things in English and other languages, the benefits for the non-English speakers outweighs the cost. A post by the Washington Times argues that, “...official English would save billions in federal spending. The direct cost of translators and bilingual education alone are billions,”(Brice). While this is a pricey expense for the country, the benefits of people talking in their mother tongue exceed the cost. Almost everyone feels more comfortable talking and reading in their language. In addition, many understand words much more clearly in their mother tongue and this can prevent mistakes and

Chang-rae Lee shares his experiences about his mother in “Mute in an English-Only World”. “In the first years we lived in America, my mother could speak only the most basic English, and she often encountered great difficulty whenever she went out.” (Lee). Most have to comprehend that a person’s language is part of them and it’s very difficult to just throw that out and become fluent in a new language. In time, though, they’ll be almost fluent in English. Lee goes on to say,”In the following years, my mother grew steadily more comfortable with English….If she was never quite fluent, she gained enough confidence to make herself clearly known to