Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read and review the assigned chapters from our Van Herk text, the Dvorak (2012)
article “The Hidden Benefit of Official-English Laws,” the Torres (1996) article “The Language Crusade,” the article by League of United Latin American Citizens (1986) English Plus Versus English Only Links to an external site.,
http://lulac.org/advocacy/issues/english_vs_spansih/index.html
and the U.S. English
Links to an external site. website regarding the English-Only and English Plus movements. Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required materials and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references.
Language is political. The English-Only movement argues that every American citizen should be asked to learn to speak only in English because, even though Spanish, in most cases, may be becoming the virtual lingua franca of the country, the liberty to stay different will break the unifying fabric of the nation. The English-Plus movement, on the other hand, finds the English-Only movement exclusive and denying the basic cultural and constitutional rights to citizens with non-English backgrounds to profess their linguistic identities. Refer to the articles from Dvorak and Torres regarding these two movements.
Keeping in mind Van Herk’s discussion on asymmetrical bilingualism and diglossia in Chapter 10, in your initial post of a minimum of 250 words,
Analyze the two articles and the motives of the English Only and English Plus movements:
What do you suggest should be the linguistic face of the country?
Elaborate on your suggestion with regard to its implication on
The school system,
Media attitudes,
Justice system, and
Other domains of life in our society.
