English would be the most common language spoken throughout the world. There are lots and lots of countries considering English as their official language all around the world, including United Kingdom, USA, Singapore, and so on. Since USA’s most commonly used language is English, it is very true that it would be extremely hard to live without basic knowledges about English. However, I believe the learning or speaking of English shouldn’t be forced to everyone who lives in the country. There was one journal with the same opinion, about USA’s oppressive assimilation of language.
The journalist Melissa Lozada-Oliva is an anchor woman whose parents are from countries speaking Spanish. Therefore since she was young, she would have heard Spanish, not English from her parents. However, due to the fact that she was living in America, she sometimes ignored or did not reply in Spanish, just to improve her English skills. Not only her personal case, but also there are a lot of examples, or even more severe examples of people being forced to speak English.
Her opinion about forced language assimilation was very negative. She thought language and the accent is what forms the identity of a person, and shouldn’t be judged or shouldn’t change the speaker’s power or anything else based on it. She stated that one individual trying to learn English just to adopt to the society or for ones convenience is truly a good movement, but being forced to do so is not the right thing.
I personally agree with the journalist’s opinion, by the fact that people shouldn’t be forced to learn a new language. As English not being my mother tongue, I sometimes have troubles because of the language. However, for the people who are older and who hasn’t learned English, it would be much harder to even understand how English works.
I do want people to think about these few questions I am going to write down. For English speakers whose mother tongue is English, what would you feel if you are forced to learn a new language just by the reason that you are living in another country? Or, would it be easy for you to understand it, or pronounce it in the correct accent? I believe if people consider these questions, it would be a better world and society to all people whose mother tongue is not English.
Thank you.