Should English Be the Law

Robert D. King

• Introduction to Robert D. KingEnglish Only Movement

– U. S. English & English First– Who support English-Only Policy? (nine groups) --(1) ; --(2)

• English Language (dominance in the U.S.)

• Text Structure

Introduction to Robert D. King (1936-)

•Education Background

•Working Experience

•Current Research &

•Publication Interests

Education Background

• B.S. in mathematics and an M.S. in applied mathematics, Georgia Tech;

• M.A. in German literature and Germanic linguistics, the University of Wisconsin

Working Experience

• IBM in Atlanta and Orlando/Cape Canaveral ；

• Instructor in German and research associate in machine translation, Georgia Tech;

• The University of Texas. (Since 1965 till now)

Current Research & Publication Interests

1. the Yiddish language, especially in relation to what it tells us about Jewish history;

2. the politics of language in general;

3. the language politics of India in particular.

English-only Movement

• U.S. English and English First, two national groups spearheading this legislation, started small in the mid-1980s. Drawing support mainly from direct-mail contributions, they have grown steadily in budgets, staffs, and influence. H.R. 123, the leading "Language of Government" bill in the 104th Congress, boasted nearly 200 cosponsors. Public support has exceeded 85 percent in some opinion polls. English Only is no longer a fringe movement.

A.Citizens who want to preserve their common language and avoid ethnic strife

B. Bigots seeking to roll back civil rights advances for language-minority groups

C. Conservatives hoping to impose a sense of national unity and civic responsibility

D. Liberals who fear that bilingual education and bilingual voting discourage assimilation 

Who are these people and what do they want?

E. Nativists trying to fan animosity toward immigrants and build support for tighter quotas

F. Euro-ethnics who resent "unfair advantages" enjoyed by Hispanics and Asians today

G. Politicians attempting to exploit a national mood of isolationism and xenophobia

H. Racists who equate multiculturalism and ethnic separatism

I. Americans who feel threatened by diversity, among other unsettling changes

• The 1990 census indicated that nearly 20 million inhabitants had been born outside the United States, about 8 percent of the total population. Eight million, or 40 percent, of those born overseas became naturalized citizens. Early in the 20th century it took immigrants three generations to switch from their native language to English. At the end of the 20th century, the shift to English was taking only two generations. This is not only because of the daily exposure to English-language movies, television, and newspapers, but because entry-level jobs in service industries require more communication skills than did the factory jobs that immigrants took a century or more ago.

Text Structure Part 1: Paras. 1-2

Part 2: Paras. 3-9

Part 3: Paras. 10-14

Part 4: Paras. 15-17

Paras. 1-2

Para. 1 Comprehension

Lang. Points (1)

Paraphrases (1)

Para. 2 Comprehension Lang. Points (2)

Paraphrases (2) (3)

Part I (Paras.1-2) Para.1 Its function?

(A brief introduction to a language riot.)

Q: What is a language riot? --a riot resulting from making English the official langua

ge of the United States

Cf: race riots riots resulting from racial animosity ( 仇恨 ) 种族骚动

 draft riots riots resulting from conscripting men into military service

征兵骚动

Para.2 Main idea?_

Q: What do “These events” refer to?

--- 1) the approval of a bill on August 1. 1996;

2) the appeal to the Supreme Court to review a case involving an English only law in the state of Arizona;

3) the striking down of the Arizona ‘English only’ law by a federal appeals court in October of 1995.

( Making English an official law is a divisive issue.)

Language Points(1) – Para. 1Language Points(1) – Para. 1

be alien (to): be strange/unnatural (to)e.g.

a) When I first went to New York, it all felt very alien to me.

b) The idea of sending children off to boarding schools was totally alien to most people several years ago, but it has become quite popular now.

Language Points(2) – Para. 2Language Points(2) – Para. 2

e.g.

a) She made one last appeal to her father for permission to go to the party.

b) The children appeal to their mother to know what to do on a rainy day. (v.)

Or:

a) Television has a great appeal for most young people.

b) Blue and red appeal to me but I don't like grey or yellow. (v.) 

appeal(to): n.&v. an earnest request or: attract(ion)

Paraphrase (1) – Para. 1

• The very idea of language as a political force-as something that might threaten to split a country wide apart-is alien to our way of thinking and to our cultural traditions.

According to our way of thinking and our cultural traditions, it is strange to think of language as a political force – as something that might constitute a threat to national unity.

Paraphrase (2) － Para. 2

• The appeal to the Supreme Court followed a 6-to-5 ruling, in October of 1995, by a federal appeals court striking down the Arizona law.

After a federal appeals court cancelled the Arizona law, following a 6-to-5 decision in October of 1995, the party concerned appealed to the Supreme Court.

Paraphrase (3) – Para. 2

•These events suggest how divisive a public issue language could become in America--even if it has until now scarcely been taken seriously.

These events indicate language could become a controversial public issue in America – even if it has not been considered to be important up till now.

Paras. 3-9

Para.5 Comprehension

Para. 4 Comprehension

The 1960’s

Lang. Points (3)

Paraphrases (6) (7)(8)Para. 6 Comprehension

Para. 3 Comprehension

Paraphrases (4)(5)

Para. 7 Comprehension

Lang. Points (4) (5)

Paraphrases (9) (10)Para. 8 Comprehension(1)(2)

Lang. Points (6)(7)

Paraphrases (11)(12)

Para. 9 Comprehension

Paraphrases (13)

Para. 3 Q: Which statement(s) reflect the traditional attitude to the status of English in America?

a) English should be the sole language spoken in America.

b) English is naturally the national language of America.

c) English is indispensable for people to succeed in America.

d) There is no need to make a fuss over English.

Para. 4 Q1: How was the language issue politically treated in America before the 1960’s? What happened then leading to a shift of attitude?

A: Politically, people had been indifferent to it. But since the 1960’s, things changed because of the anything-goes attitudes and the celebration of cultural differences.

A: Linguists established legitimacy of black English, and there have been scattered demands that black English be included in bilingual education programs.

Q2：What happened to black English afterthe introduction of bilingual education in the 1960’s?

The 1960’s

In the 1960s, presidential initiatives, judicial rulings, and social protest movements generated reform. The civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the youth movement, and the environmental movement changed people’s lives. They also created a climate of rebellion, confrontation, and upheaval.

• Protests in the 1960s: the civil rights movement, the student movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, the women’s movement, the gay rights movement, and the environmental movement. (pic.)

• Supporters questioned traditional practices about how people were treated. Why did black and white children attend separate schools? Why were women prevented from holding certain jobs? Why could a person be drafted at 18 but not able to vote until 21? This questioning inspired people to begin organizing movements to fight against injustice and for equal rights for all people.

•

Para. 5Q: What example is cited as an attempt to legislate linguistic practices?

A: Senator S. I. Hayakawa’s English Language Amendment (a constitutional amendment making English the official language).

Q1: What kind of organization is “U.S. English”?

A1: It is an organization with its primary purpose of promoting English as the official language of the U.S..

Q2: Was it successful in its initial attempts?

A2: Yes, fairly successful.

Para.6

Para.7Q: Why does the author cite a number of Official English members here?

A: To prove that proponents of English Only movement tend to be conservative, though some are liberal in ideology.

Para.8Q: What is the popular wisdom about conservatives and liberals in the language issue? Does that always stand true?

A: Conservatives are believed to support Official English while liberals are against it. But it’s not always true since there are some liberals who fear that bilingualism discourages assimilation.

Para.8 *melting pot

The United States has been described as a melting pot where ethnic and racial groups shed their specific traits and join with other Americans to create a new identity. The nation has also been described as a salad bowl where people of different backgrounds mingle at work and school, in civic responsibilities, and as consumers, but where cultural traits remain distinct.

Para.9Q: According to the Emerson Bill, on which of the following occasions English must be used?

a) Teaching art in universities;

b) Defending a suspect in court;

c) Issuing official documents;

d) Doing business with other countries.

• Traditionally, the American way has been to make English the national language-but to do so quietly, locally, without fuss.

Paraphrase (4) – Para.3

According to tradition, the American custom had been to make English the national language, but that has been achieved quietly, locally and without attracting much attention.

• It has always been taken for granted that English is the national language, and that one must learn English in order to make it in America.

Paraphrase (5) - Para.3

It has always been naturally believed that English is the language of the nation and that one must learn English in order to succeed in America.

Language Points(3) Language Points(3) – Para. 3– Para. 3

e.g. a) She's very ambitious but, I don't think she'll eve

r really make it as a business woman.

b) The charts showed we had made it, and big.

•make it: be successful

Paraphrase (6) - Para.4

The tradition of American politics began to change in the wake of the anything-goes attitudes and the celebration of cultural differences arising in the 1960s.

Traditional American politics began to change in the 1960s when attitudes promoting any kind of thought and cultural differences appeared.

*Anything Goes: a title of a song written by Cole Porter, 1934. It means that one person can do whatever she/he wants.

Paraphrase (7) - Para.4

•A 1975 amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 mandated the "bilingual ballot" under certain circumstances, notably when the voters of selected language groups reached five percent of more in a voting district.

A 1975 amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ordered that ballots be printed in two languages under certain circumstances, used when the voters of chosen language groups make up five percent of more in a voting district.

Paraphrase (8) - Para.4

•Predictably, there have been scattered demands that black English be included in bilingual-education programs.

Not surprisingly, there have been a few demands that black English should be part of bilingual educational programs.

• It was probably inevitable that the Official English (or English Only-the two names are used almost interchangeably)movement would acquire a conservative, almost reactionary undertone in the 1990s.

Paraphrase (9) - Para.7

Perhaps it was inevitable that the Official English movement seemed to suggest a conservative tendency, almost opposing social progress in the 1990s.

Paraphrase (10) - Para.7

• In 1987 U.S. English installed as its president Linda Chavez, a Hispanic who had been prominent in the Reagan Administration.

In 1987 U.S. English made Linda Chavez its president, a Spanish descendant who had enjoyed an important position in the Reagan Administration.

Language Points(4)Language Points(4)

• Install v. : settle (sb) in an official position, esp. with ceremony

e.g.

Every four years, an American President is installed into office in January.

overtones n. (often pl.) implications; hints

e.g.

a) Although the concert was supposed to be an event to raise money for charity, it had strong political overtones.

b) Feminists have criticized the TV commercials for its sexist overtones.

Language Points(5)Language Points(5)

Paraphrase (11) - Para.8

• The popular wisdom is that conservatives are pro and liberals con.

Most people think that conservatives are supporters and liberals are opponents.

• popular wisdom: conventional/received wisdom

Language Points(6)Language Points(6)

e.g. The popular wisdom has it that women are more emotional than men, but in my experience it just often isn't the case.

• pro and con: for and against but when it is used as noun, it means "advantage and disadvantage".

e.g. a) Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament? b) We considered all the pros and cons very carefully before deciding to buy a bigger house. 

Paraphrase (12) - Para.8

• There is a strain of American liberalism that defines itself in nostalgic devotion to the melting pot.

Some American liberals believe in assimilation (the melting pot). They strongly support official English and they also bring with them strong liberal credentials.

Language Points(7)Language Points(7)

• a strain of: a particular type or quality of

e.g.

a) There's a strain of eccentricity( 古怪 ) in that family.

b) A strain of puritanism （严格的道德及宗教观念） runs through all her work. 

Paraphrase (13) - Para.9

• The Emerson Bill (H.R. 123), passed by the House last August, specifies English as the official language of government, and requires that the government "preserve and enhance" the official status of English.

The Emerson Bill (H.R. 123), which was passed by the House of Representatives last August, states that English be the official language of government and requires that the government protect and increase the official status of English.

Part III (Paras.10-14)

Para. 10

Comprehension

Paraphrases(14)

Para. 11

Comprehension

Paraphrases(15)

Para. 12

Comprehension

Language Points(8)

Paraphrases(16)(17)

Para. 13

Comprehension

Paraphrases(18)

Para. 14

Hispanic Americans

• There is almost nothing the government of a free country can do to change language usage and practice significantly.

Para.10Q: Which reason out of the many has been mentioned for opposition to English Only measures in the Senate?

A: Republicans object to mandated mono-lingualism in order not to alienate Hispanic republicans.

Para.11Q1: What are the issues mentioned that intersect in the controversy over Official English?

Q2: What is the underlying uneasiness of some Americans about their traditional benign attitude to language?

Para.12

Q: What lesson can we learn from the cited Quebec example?

A: Language laws often make things worse. Thus, it’s wise not to interfere politically with language if possible.

Para.13Q: What’s the purpose of introducing the examples of Gaelic and Welsh?

A: By making a contrast, the author concludes that linguistically diverse nations often survive if they have a national identity that supersedes their cultural differences.

Para.14Debates on Hispanic Americans

Anti-Hispanic sentiments:

in the 1980s and 1990s, crude propaganda designed to create resentment against poor Spanish-speaking workers became common in political debates about U.S. immigration laws and bilingual education programs. Illegal Hispanic immigrants in the United States have been portrayed as a threat to national security.

• In the long run, Hispanic influence is likely to profoundly change the predominantly English-speaking culture of the United States. Spanish is already the second most widely spoken language in the United States, and Hispanic influences are increasingly noticeable in American foods, music, and the visual arts. As the nations of the western hemisphere are increasingly linked within a global economy, the Hispanic world and the United States are rapidly discovering that their cultural differences are less important than their common interests and shared destiny.

Paraphrase (14) - Para.10

•Any language bill will face tough odds in the Senate, because some western senators have opposed English Only measures in the past for various reasons, among them a desire by Republicans not to alienate the growing number of Hispanic Republicans, most of whom are uncomfortable with mandated monolingualism.

Any proposed law related to language will encounter strong opposition in the Senate, because some senators from the western states have opposed English Only measures in the past for a variety of reasons, one of which is that Republicans do not want to separate themselves from the growing number of Hispanic Republicans, most of whom are uncomfortable with the official requirement that only English (and not Spanish) be used.

Paraphrase (15) - Para.11

• Will America, if it continues on its traditional path of benign linguistic neglect, go the way of Belgium, Cabada, and Sri Lanka-three countries among many whose unity is gravely imperiled by language and ethnic conflicts?

If America continues its traditional way of simply ignoring language issues, will America follow Belgium, Canada, and Sri Lanka– three countries among many whose unity is seriously endangered by language and racial conflicts?

Paraphrase (16) - Para.12

• History teaches a plain lesson about language and governments: there is almost nothing the government of a free country can do to change language usage and practice significantly, to force its citizens to use certain languages in preference to others, and to discourage people from speaking a language…

We can easily learn a lesson about language and governments from history: the government of an independent and democratic country can do nothing to greatly change language usage and practices, to force its citizens to use certain languages rather than others and to prevent people from speaking a language…

Language Points(8)Language Points(8)

• in preference to: rather than

e.g.

He studied chemistry in preference to physics at university. 

•  discourage ... from: prevent ... from

e.g.

a) Her parents discouraged her from majoring in drama courses because they thought she'd never get a job.

b) What discourages me from going camping is all the insects. 

Paraphrase (17) - Para.12

• Wise governments keep their hands off language to the extent that it is politically possible to do so.

Wise governments don’t interfere politically with language if it is possible.

Paraphrase (18) - Para.13

• living out a slow, inexorable decline

experiencing a slow relentless decline

Part IV (Paras.15-17)

Para. 15

Comprehension

Paraphrases(19)

Para. 16

Comprehension

Paraphrases(20)

Para. 17

ComprehensionThe End

• America has its unique otherness and Americans should luxuriate in their linguistic richness and traditional tolerance of language difference.

Para. 15 Q: Why does the author criticise language romanticism?

A: On the one hand it praised language highly; on the other, it made language a means for destroying a country.

Paraphrase (19) - Para.15

• Language, as one linguist has said, is "not primarily a means of communication but a means of communion."

As one linguist has said, language is “not a means by which we communicate, but a means by which we achieve a close understanding of each other”.

Paraphrase (20) - Para.16

• "We are Americans; we are different.“

We are Americans. We have our own traditions and history. We are different from people of other countries.

QQ: The writer says “: The writer says “America has that unique America has that unique othernessotherness…” and “…” and “We are Americans, we are We are Americans, we are different.different.” In what respect are Americans ” In what respect are Americans different from other peoples?different from other peoples?

A: Americans are different in having (1) radical divisions; (2) economic unfairness; (3) the frontier tradition; (4) respect for the individual and opportunity; (5) a love affair with the automobile; (6) a civil war in the history that freed the slaves and fought with valor; (7) sports, hot dogs, hamburgers, and milkshakes, etc.

Q: What is the conclusion of the essay?

A: Americans should relax and enjoy their linguistic richness and traditional tolerance for diversity because language does not threaten American unity. Benign neglect is is a good policy for America.

The End