English is the official language of the United States

[ArMaP]

America speaks English.... why is that statement allowed to be considered offensive and exclusive?

Who said it was?

(Considering how many Americans speak, it could really be considered offensive to call that "English" )

Shouldn't we be concerned that Chinese citizens speak Chinese?

In fact, in China they have dozens of different languages, with Mandarin being the most used, but in Macau, for example, they also speak Cantonese and (for obvious reasons) Portuguese. My elder sister knows a woman whose grandfather from Macau didn't understand a word of Mandarin.

[Maxmars]

Who said it was?

(Considering how many Americans speak, it could really be considered offensive to call that "English" )


In fact, in China they have dozens of different languages, with Mandarin being the most used, but in Macau, for example, they also speak Cantonese and (for obvious reasons) Portuguese. My elder sister knows a woman whose grandfather from Macau didn't understand a word of Mandarin.

Ah... the demons roaming around my imagination are responsible for that blathered bit of bias!

I have perceived from many some kind of sideways 'shame' being associated with all things "America."  But that's on me, or a debate for another time. 

You're absolutely correct that this continent has hosted a great many distinct ways to express oneself in English... many of them technically, wrong. 

[Nerb]

If America speaks English, why don't they spell in English too.

Color is spelled Colour.
Flavor is spelled Flavour.
Program is spelled Programme.

Etc.. Words Americans spell differently to English.

[UltraBudgie]

If America speaks English, why don't they spell in English too.

Hmm that's a good point perhaps Trump could order that version of English to be renamed "British". That's more accurate, anyway.

[IDELB2006]

Shouldn't your government's focus be on eliminating child poverty, affordability...you know the really important issues for which the people voted for? Just saying.

MAGA is not necessarily about lifting up individuals in need.

It's core belief is that pissing of the democrats is the best way to run the country.

Season two is about applying that way of thinking to the rest of the world.

[ArMaP]

If America speaks English, why don't they spell in English too.

Color is spelled Colour.
Flavor is spelled Flavour.
Program is spelled Programme.

Etc.. Words Americans spell differently to English.

Those differences are normal with "colony" versions of a language, the same happened with Brazil and their version of Portuguese. The tendency is to make it easier, so, for example, theatre became theater.

[chr0naut]

The President signed an executive order today designating English as the official language of the United States:


This is an interesting issue. Of course it will be seen as supremacist and anti-immigrant by some. But is there a point here, about societal cohesion? The very idea of a "national culture" seems vaguely fascistic in the current political environment, which in itself says something.

I often see the world in terms not of nations, but of cultures, isolated from each other by language. Heck, look at the vague empire-like 5-eyes alliance: Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Five countries where English-speaking white guys have traditionally held power, allied because their respective spy-agencies can operate and blend in with the population of other "alliance" members, skirting respective laws about domestic surveillance. We can't do that as easily with China, France, Russia, or Germany! An example of how important language is. Language is a virus, someone said, and it's an interesting lens to look at the world through, as languages and their associated worldview-sets battling it out, merely using humans and their nations as front-line troops.

There used to be an argument that not providing things in languages other than English was exclusionary. But, I can very easily go to Google Translate and pull up any web page in any language I like. There are phone apps that will translate spoken language almost instantly, superimpose translated labels on live video you take of signs and such, and ones that help you fill out forms in other languages. Does this change things? We're moving to a world where the tower of Babel can easily be flown over.

So, what do you think of Trump's order? Other than the usual blah blah stuff used to ignite or appease the bases.

In a functional sense, I cant see any actual advantage to the nation from this bit of legislation.

But it does represent a tightening of the screws against any difference from 'the orthodoxy'.

In the best case, it is just pointless legislation. Preaching, as it were, to the already converted.

At the worst case, it could be used to further isolate those who are new to the US and are trying to integrate and learn the culture.

One may also well argue that few Americans actually speak 'the King's or Queen's English'.

American English - Wikipedia

Besides, does this bit of legislation come with some sort of test or measurable limits to determine the extent of compliance of 'English speakers'?

I'm fairly sure that a President with such a notably limited vocabulary, might well fail his own legislation?

:P

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

If America speaks English, why don't they spell in English too.

Color is spelled Colour.
Flavor is spelled Flavour.
Program is spelled Programme.

Etc.. Words Americans spell differently to English.

I'm dyslexic, you're lucky you get even the American spelling from me. I break the spellchecker and predictive text functions. Trouble enough with the homophones, double letters, silent letters. Only ones that slip through.

English spelling can honestly burn in its confusing loan language hell.

Like: Receipt, debris, colonel (why the hell is there an R sound?), and indict. There's a special brain storage area for those words.

Spanish is nice and phonetic. Not 100%, but close enough to sound out almost all the words. In Spanish it would be reseet, debree, kernal (like corn), and indite or even indight like night and not knight.

And that's why hooked on phonics is sadism.

UK vs. USA question..

When the NFL sends Jacksonville to London every year do the people that care call them the Ja•gu•ars?

[UltraBudgie]

I'm dyslexic, you're lucky you get even the American spelling from me. I break the spellchecker and predictive text functions. Trouble enough with the homophones, double letters, silent letters. Only ones that slip through.

English spelling can honestly burn in its confusing loan language hell.

English seems ready-made for confusion and ambiguity. To the point where it seems almost like a feature rather than a bug. Funny double-think wordplay. Is it the result of centuries of intellectual amusement adopting such usage? Something nefarious like spellcraft? Or perhaps a deeper dynamic in the language itself? I often think the aphorism "information wants to be free" is exactly wrong -- information wants to be hidden, cloaked, ambiguous, entertaining. It's a mystery. Words are fun.

UK vs. USA question..

When the NFL sends Jacksonville to London every year do the people that care call them the Ja•gu•ars?

My favourite example of this is that it even happens on loan words and foreign names: Americans pronounce Hyundai as "Hyun-day", in Britain it's usually "Hy-un-dai".

Hey, if Britain annoys Trump, do you think he could rename the English Channel to the French Channel? Could he do that? Would Google have to label it that way, like with the Gulf of America? Or can he only do that for things within this hemisphere? I bet France would pay bigly to make that happen, lol.


Edit to add: Oh and languages are important. For example I think the Ukraine thing wouldn't have happened if the eastern oblasts didn't predominantly speak Russian rather than Ukrainian. And the conflict there really passed the tipping point when Kiev attempted to ban Russian-speakers from public office. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/uk...KCN1S110Y/

[quintessentone]

So, when does Trump start changing non-English names to English names, such as Rio Grande to Grand River, or Hawaii to The Place of The Gods and just how will the aboriginal Hawaiian people feel about that?