On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:31:47 -0800, Morgans wrote
(in article ):


"Hamish Reid" wrote

None of that really answers the question: in what sense is Spanish a
foreign language in the US? As several people have pointed out, it
predates English in these parts by a long way, and has been spoken
continuously 'round here by immigrants and native-born citizens alike
for all of that time.

Now you are being silly. English is the official language in the US, and is
the only language of record. That says it all.

There is no official language in the US. Anyone who says that there is is
ignorant of American history, American law, and American values.

Saints preserve us from becoming like the French, arguing endlessly about
whether every word is sufficiently pure enough to be used in both daily and
official discourse.

Now then, I know of places, I have been to places, where they speak English,
have for generations, and you would barely understand a word they say.
English is now the dominant language of the world. There are more people who
speak English as a second language than those who learned it as their primary
language. But that English has many forms. There is no international or even
national body that can decide what is 'proper' English.

If you want to make English an official language, you then have to decide
which English is the official form. And then you get into arguing about
whether words like "turkey" are English or not. Some knothead will decide
that you cannot eat "beef" because that is French; you have to eat "cow." You
cannot drive an "auto" because that is German. And "cars" are too French. So
they will make up some purely English word. You allow some board of academics
to decide that their politically correct version of English is preferable to
the sexist, racist, patriarchal, oppressive, obnoxious English that you
speak. And there will be endless litigation over whether some contract was
actually written in English. Do you want that? Because I can guarantee you,
all those countries that do have an official language have those things.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor