RJA 11: Argument

America Would Do Well to Become Multilingual

Reasons

1. We are losing jobs to people from overseas.  For example, the reconstruction and renovation of the crumbling Alexander Hamilton Bridge in New York is being outsourced to a team of Chinese construction workers!
   Cuomo, Chris, Joseph Rhee, and Tran Linh. "Bringing America Back: Are Infrastructure Jobs Being Shipped to China?." ABC World News. 23 Sep 2011: n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/bringing_america_back/american-infrastructure-jobs-shipped-china/story?id=14592567>
2. Others in the world understand the world around them and thus are cultured and worldly, areas in which Americans have for decades been chastised.  People across Europe have always made of fun how lacking in knowledge of general facts about the world Americans are.
   Dicker, Susan. Languages in America: A Pluralist View. 2nd. Multilingual Matters LTD, 2003. 298-302. Print.Bawer, Bruce. "Hating America." Hudson Review. (2004): n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.hudsonreview.com/BawerSp04.html>
3. Multilingual children do much better in cognitive reasoning and on tests overall.Krashen, Steven. "Bilingual Education Works." Rethinking Schools. n.d. n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. <http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/Bi152.shtml>

Objections

1. Americans do not need any other languages besides English to conduct business and live in this country.  In fact, immigrants ought to learn proper English!Arguements Against Learning Spanish - http://www.ehow.com/info_8054932_arguments-against-learning-spanish.html
   Official English Will Encourage Immigrants to Learn English - http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/official-english-will-encourage-immigrants-to-learn-english
2. English will cease to be spoken if we allow immigrants to bring their languages to America.  It is already happening; English is under attach as we speak.
   Linguistic Unity Is Critical to an Increasingly Diverse Society - http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/linguistic-unity-is-critical-in-an-increasingly-diverse-society

Refutations

1. The fact of the matter is that we will always have people in this country who do not speak English because America has allowed such a tradition since its inception.  Forcing them to speak English won't solve anything, but learning their languages would mean better business.
   http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/linguistic-unity-is-critical-in-an-increasingly-diverse-society (in the comments)
2. This simply is not true.  Allowing minority languages to thrive would have no effect on the overwhelmingly dominant status of the English language in America.
   http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/linguistic-unity-is-critical-in-an-increasingly-diverse-society (6th paragraph)

RJA 10b: Reasons

• We are losing jobs to others in the world who are multilingual
• Cuomo, Chris, Joseph Rhee, and Tran Linh. "Bringing America Back: Are Infrastructure Jobs Being Shipped to China?." ABC World News. 23 Sep 2011: n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/bringing_america_back/american-infrastructure-jobs-shipped-china/story?id=14592567>
• Po, Vivian. "Rep. Judy Chu: American Children Need Bilingual Education." New America Media. 21 Apr 2010: n. page. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://newamericamedia.org/2010/11/judy-chu-bilingual-education-will-help-american-children.php>.
• Dowdell, Sommer. "What Are the Benefits of Being Bilingual in U.S. Jobs Today?." eHow. n.d. n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/list_6724805_benefits-bilingual-u_s_-jobs-today_.html>
  
•  We are culturally malnourished; learning other languages helps people understand the world
• Dicker, Susan. Languages in America: A Pluralist View. 2nd. Multilingual Matters LTD, 2003. 298-302. Print.
•  People from other countries look down on Americans for being so "self-centered" and "uncultured"
• Bawer, Bruce. "Hating America." Hudson Review. (2004): n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.hudsonreview.com/BawerSp04.html>
•  Multilingual children do better in school overall, and show higher cognitive functioning
• Krashen, Steven. "Bilingual Education Works." Rethinking Schools. n.d. n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. <http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/Bi152.shtml>
•  Nauert, Rick. "Bilingual Kids Show Cognitive Advantages." PshchoCentral. 10 Nov 2010: n. page. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. <http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/11/10/cognitive-ability-improved-when-bilingual/20740.html>
•  Almost 18% of our country speak something other than English at home, and we ought to learn to accommodate them
• The World Factbook - U.S.A. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html

RJA2

RJA2a


I will write about multilingualism and multilingual education in America.  This topic is something that I have some personal opinions regarding, and thus figured it would be worth exploring more in depth.  I think that it is an issue that most are not particularly swayed by one way or the other, and so in presenting it to others, it might make for a good discussion.

America is one of only a few industrialized nations of the modern world who are primarily monolingual, Russia, Japan, and Brazil being a couple of the others.  There are major differences between America and the rest of that class, though, in terms of how the problem is treated, and whether it is regarded even as a problem.  Japan mandates English study from middle school, and many young Russians can speak English very well.  America, on the other hand, does not mandate any language study, and the levels of multi-linguistic proficiency among the youth do no compare to those of Russia, presumably for that reason.  What is America doing wrong, or "wrong," in this arena, and would our monolingualism have adverse effects on our standing in the world with, say, a rising multilingual China.

What is the current status of any proposed legislation to improve multilingualism in America IF there is any?  If there is none, what else could be done about the matter?  What are other countries doing to increase their numbers of multilingual people?


RJA2b

Using mostly Wikipedia, I have found information on a few different facets of my topic.  I found information on people in America who adamantly oppose multilingual education, citing Theodore Roosevelt as motivation.  Also, I have found information on other countries and their multilingual endeavors, namely our neighbor Canada, where both English and French are official and equal under the law, and Belgium, where such movements like the ones going on here to combat multilingual education are banned, and all languages are accepted.


RJA2c


Positive Arguments

• There are too many languages in the world to only speak one.
• We should be able to communicate with other nations.  We live in an increasingly global economy.
• China and most of Europe mandate multilingual education...why don't we?
• Multilingualism is good for the mind and is correlated to better grades.

Negative Arguments

• We don't really NEED to learn other languages.  Others come here and learn ours.
• What's the need?  America is the world superpower.  Multilingualism didn't help us get here.
• To promoting multilingual education is to promote disimilation within American society. 

RJA 1

1. language education reform in America
1. Is the topic academic or scholarly? Yes
2. Could a research question about this topic be positive? Yes
3. Do you think the answer to your research question can be adequately answered and supported in 3900 words? Yes
4. Do you think you can find at least twelve credible sources--including one book, one reference work, one article from a peer-reviewed journal, one electronic source (not including the book or periodical article if they were obtained online), and one source from original field (or primary) research--on this topic? Yes
5. Do you already know a lot about this topic? Yes
6. Have you already formed an opinion about this topic? No
7. Have you used this topic before for a research paper? No
2. the U.S. and the Kyoto Protocol
1. Is the topic academic or scholarly? Yes
   
2. Could a research question about this topic be positive? Yes
   
3. Do you think the answer to your research question can be adequately answered and supported in 3900 words? Yes
   
4. Do you think you can find at least twelve credible sources--including one book, one reference work, one article from a peer-reviewed journal, one electronic source (not including the book or periodical article if they were obtained online), and one source from original field (or primary) research--on this topic? Yes
   
5. Do you already know a lot about this topic? Yes
   
6. Have you already formed an opinion about this topic? No
   
7. Have you used this topic before for a research paper? No
3. literacy in America
1. Is the topic academic or scholarly? Yes
   
2. Could a research question about this topic be positive? Yes
   
3. Do you think the answer to your research question can be adequately answered and supported in 3900 words? Yes
   
4. Do you think you can find at least twelve credible sources--including one book, one reference work, one article from a peer-reviewed journal, one electronic source (not including the book or periodical article if they were obtained online), and one source from original field (or primary) research--on this topic? Yes
   
5. Do you already know a lot about this topic? Yes
   
6. Have you already formed an opinion about this topic? No
   
7. Have you used this topic before for a research paper? No
4. legalization of marijuana
1. Is the topic academic or scholarly? Yes
   
2. Could a research question about this topic be positive? Yes
   
3. Do you think the answer to your research question can be adequately answered and supported in 3900 words? Yes
   
4. Do you think you can find at least twelve credible sources--including one book, one reference work, one article from a peer-reviewed journal, one electronic source (not including the book or periodical article if they were obtained online), and one source from original field (or primary) research--on this topic? Yes
   
5. Do you already know a lot about this topic? Yes
   
6. Have you already formed an opinion about this topic? No
   
7. Have you used this topic before for a research paper? No
5. censorship and pornography
1. Is the topic academic or scholarly? Yes
   
2. Could a research question about this topic be positive? Yes
   
3. Do you think the answer to your research question can be adequately answered and supported in 3900 words? Yes
   
4. Do you think you can find at least twelve credible sources--including one book, one reference work, one article from a peer-reviewed journal, one electronic source (not including the book or periodical article if they were obtained online), and one source from original field (or primary) research--on this topic? Yes
   
5. Do you already know a lot about this topic? Yes
   
6. Have you already formed an opinion about this topic? No
   
7. Have you used this topic before for a research paper? No