English the National Language?

The Washington Post recently explored current opinions on the move to make English the national language. The best practice for improving literacy, according to that article, is not creating a national language however, but supporting the diverse linguistic background of all citizens.

Here are some articles that suggest additional perspectives and strategies related to this important subject. The Language Arts article "What's New in the English Language Arts: Challenging Policies and Practices, ¿y qué?" examines "the ways in which we have not taken up social and cultural understandings of the teaching and learning of literacy" and emphasizes the importance of supporting diverse language knowledge in the classroom.In "Unlock Their Lonely Hearts" from Voices from the Middle, author Danling Fu argues that, for new immigrant children, literacy education that challenges students to speak and engage in meaningful work (not worksheets and handwriting practice) is the key to initiating them into American culture, to helping them feel this country is their home, and to unlocking their lonely hearts. Rather than outlawing everything but English, the English Journal article "Democracy, Dialect, and the Power of Every Voice" asserts that "rich experiences in the exploration of dialect serve as a precursor to mastering Standard English." The article includes specific strategies for empowering students as language users. "Linguistic Memory and the Politics of U.S. English" from College English argues for a national language policy that moves beyond the notion of language as a right, with its lingering assumptions of English monolingualism as an ultimate goal, and instead fosters a linguistic culture where being multilingual is both normal and desirable.