[EDLING:2295] Gingrich Backs English Official Language Push

Francis M Hult fmhult at DOLPHIN.UPENN.EDU
Fri Jan 26 16:00:21 UTC 2007


Via lgpolicy...

> Gingrich Backs English Official Language Push
> 
> By Payton Hoegh and Fred Lucas
> CNSNews.com Correspondent and Staff Writer
> January 25, 2007
> 
> (CNSNews.com) - A significant majority of Americans don't believe the
> federal government is doing enough to promote English as the country's
> preeminent language, according to a Zogby International Poll released
> Tuesday. The poll comes as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich adds his
> voice to calls for Congress to pass a bill to make English the official
> language. A bill introduced in the House last week calls for an amendment
> to the Constitution to make English the official language of the United
> States.  It is currently before the House Judiciary Committee.
> 
> "Being for a program that immerses first generation immigrants in learning
> the English language is pro-immigrant," Gingrich said at a press
> conference Tuesday in Washington sponsored by ProEnglish, the group that
> commissioned the poll. Without a common language, Gingrich said, "The
> civilization will decay and the culture will collapse." He added that
> "bilingual education has been a disaster." Funds already allocated for
> bilingual teaching should instead be used to teach students English.
> Gingrich called for English-only ballots and government documents.
> 
> "This movement to make English the official language of the U.S. and to
> make sure immigrants are taught to speak English will help improve the
> future of immigrants, and those who began as migrant workers may one day
> run the business," Gingrich said. "If you want your children to have their
> optimum future, then you want your children to learn English," he said.
> According to the Zogby poll, 60 percent of Americans think Congress and
> President Bush aren't doing enough to protect English's role as the
> "common, unifying language of the United States." Only one in four believe
> the government is doing enough.
> 
> Meanwhile, 69 percent of Americans believe the United States is at risk of
> becoming a multi-lingual society where people cannot communicate because
> they don't speak the same language. Gingrich's call for Congress to enact
> an English-only policy comes as the Georgia Republican is mulling running
> for president in 2008. Last year, the Senate considered a proposal to make
> English the national language. Among 2008 candidates, Republican Sens.
> John McCain of Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas voted for the measure.
> Likely Democratic candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, Barack
> Obama of Illinois and Joe Biden of Delaware voted against it.
> 
> The survey did not ask respondents if English should be the only official
> language of the federal government. However, K.C. McAlpin, executive
> director of ProEnglish, said results strongly indicate public support for
> an English-only policy. "In view of these findings, the question is why
> are Congress and the president ignoring the desire of the American people
> to protect their nation's historic unity in the English language," McAlpin
> said. "If the new Congress and the president are sincere about their
> desire to enact truly comprehensive immigration reform this year, they
> have no excuse for not making English our official language," he added.
> 
> Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, said English is
> not under assault as some of the public might believe. "People hear a
> little Spanish-speaking in the grocery store, and they get scared," Jacoby
> told Cybercast News Service . "Immigrants want to learn English, and they
> are." The Zogby poll also said 92 percent of Americans believe preserving
> English as a common language is important to maintain unity as a nation,
> and 78 percent believe the government should take a more active role to
> help immigrants learn English.
> 
> On these points, Jacoby agrees. She said most immigrants realize English
> is the language of success, but there aren't enough English classes
> available now. This doesn't have to be a government program, Jacoby said,
> as churches, nonprofit groups and the business community all have an
> interest in sponsoring English as a second-language classes. "Employers
> have a stake in this," she said. "Government should encourage, but
> taxpayers shouldn't pay for it."
> 
> http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200701/NAT20070125a.html



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