Why are many people in the United States so afraid of what they consider the unknown? As a language instructor, I work everyday to try to open the minds of my students to learn about other cultures through a variety of means: language, literature, media, and popular culture. Although many students begin taking a language as some type of requisite course, it often opens up their eyes and minds to the lives of our brothers and sisters throughout the world and creates a spark of interest for further study.
As the world becomes smaller and more interconnected, why would Ohioans want to become more insular? What are the fears of allowing people to speak languages other than English? Are you afraid that we might all be forced to speak Spanish, or maybe even Somali?
Immigrants that come to our county, legally or illegally, come to make better lives for themselves. In order to do so, they must learn English to thrive in this society. But in order to do so, they should also receive help from our government to facilitate that process and the time it takes to learn a language. We can't throw them into a land where no one can communicate with them and expect them to quickly assimilate and forget their mother tongue. Language acquisition takes some time. Now it is our moral obligation to give it to them.
Original post is here.
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