The answer is yes!
This topic came up earlier today due to the new administration's push for reforming the United States Immigration Policy. I won't go into the particulars, but one of the hot button issues was preference for those who speak English. Some have said this is racist. I was not aware English was a race and last I checked English was an official language in 81 sovereign and non-sovereign states, many non-white. Oddly enough, the US, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand do NOT have English as an official language de jure, but English is the de facto language in those countries. What about Canada, eh? In Canada, both French and English are official languages de jure.
So why should preference be given to those who speak English? That's easy. It's what the vast majority speaks and the official language of 32 of the 50 states. Even in the Spanish speaking territory of Puerto Rico, English is the official language for federal legal matters. But even more importantly, learning English opens the door for new immigrants to obtain employment. There are communities where the majority people only speak Spanish, Korean or Chinese; I've been to them, often. People there are able to get by without much English at all, but that does not help them assimilate and limits their employment prospects. Admittedly, I think it would be unfair to require new immigrants to be able to wax poetic about transnational trade or the technical nomenclature of a computer motherboard, but a basic understanding is for everyday needs, including medical issues and road signs, is really a no-brainer.
But, what about, but what if...? yes there are a lot of what about and what ifs and anecdotal stories of woe. Bottom line is if you are coming to this country and want to be an American resident, you need to learn the language. If you're here on a student visa or just visiting, of course you don't need to be proficient in English. But if you want a green card or a work visa, I see no reason why applicants should not be able to pass a basic English examination. They do it in Europe. When I went to Germany as an exchange student, I knew very, very little German. I attended Gymnasium for a year and was fluent when I left. It's not too much to ask. Now, in certain cases such as refugees and family members under a certain age, I would fully support government assistance in preparing the individual for obtaining a reasonable score on the TOEFL. Again, the issue is preference for English speakers, it's not black and white speak like a native or you're out, but seriously, English ain't that hard, y'all.
This topic came up earlier today due to the new administration's push for reforming the United States Immigration Policy. I won't go into the particulars, but one of the hot button issues was preference for those who speak English. Some have said this is racist. I was not aware English was a race and last I checked English was an official language in 81 sovereign and non-sovereign states, many non-white. Oddly enough, the US, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand do NOT have English as an official language de jure, but English is the de facto language in those countries. What about Canada, eh? In Canada, both French and English are official languages de jure.
So why should preference be given to those who speak English? That's easy. It's what the vast majority speaks and the official language of 32 of the 50 states. Even in the Spanish speaking territory of Puerto Rico, English is the official language for federal legal matters. But even more importantly, learning English opens the door for new immigrants to obtain employment. There are communities where the majority people only speak Spanish, Korean or Chinese; I've been to them, often. People there are able to get by without much English at all, but that does not help them assimilate and limits their employment prospects. Admittedly, I think it would be unfair to require new immigrants to be able to wax poetic about transnational trade or the technical nomenclature of a computer motherboard, but a basic understanding is for everyday needs, including medical issues and road signs, is really a no-brainer.
But, what about, but what if...? yes there are a lot of what about and what ifs and anecdotal stories of woe. Bottom line is if you are coming to this country and want to be an American resident, you need to learn the language. If you're here on a student visa or just visiting, of course you don't need to be proficient in English. But if you want a green card or a work visa, I see no reason why applicants should not be able to pass a basic English examination. They do it in Europe. When I went to Germany as an exchange student, I knew very, very little German. I attended Gymnasium for a year and was fluent when I left. It's not too much to ask. Now, in certain cases such as refugees and family members under a certain age, I would fully support government assistance in preparing the individual for obtaining a reasonable score on the TOEFL. Again, the issue is preference for English speakers, it's not black and white speak like a native or you're out, but seriously, English ain't that hard, y'all.
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