A paper which studies just how important it is to be fluent in the English language, especially in the United States.
The author of the paper discusses the clear importance of learning fluent English as a way to integrate into American society and advance in life. He studies the opinions of ESL instructors who commented on the importance of English fluency and the difficulties faced by new immigrants wishing to become Americans without losing their heritage.
“Census figures show there are 329 different languages spoken in the United States today including English. Even so, 97% of Americans speak English “well” or “very well.” (Census 5) Immigrants who stay with others from their country and speak their native language at home are less likely to speak English fluently. This creates an economic factor because it is more difficult for them to find career positions. Instead, they are stuck in low paying jobs where the language is not a barrier. Those who propose English as the official language of the U.S. are not anti-immigrant. They are concerned with statistics from the Census bureau that predict by the year 2050 there will be over 21 million people unable to speak English in the United States. (Census 6) ”