Many people still mistakenly believe that most Americans speak English and that English is their main language. Are you sure? I believe that we would be surprised to learn that English is not the official language of the United States.
The United States of America does not have an official language.
The United States of America is the epicenter of English speakers in that part of the world; however, it is surprising that the US does not officially recognize any language, leaving numerous people around the world stunned.
It is reported that the U.S., unlike most countries, does not recognize any language as its official language.
The reason why English is not the official language of the United States
The origin of the US explains why English is not the official language of the US.
There are 180 countries in the world that have an official language to facilitate governance, communication, and the establishment of legal frameworks. For example, Bolivia has 37 languages, the highest number of official languages, including Spanish, and numerous indigenous languages.
However, the lack of an official language in the US can be traced back to its multicultural roots and historical context.
Throughout the 1700s, while English established its dominance in the American colonies, significant portions of the population continued to speak their mother tongues from their respective homelands.
Additionally, some languages, including German, Dutch, Flemish, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Polish, Gaelic, Portuguese, Italian, and more, echoed through the diverse communities.
Given the melting pot of cultures and languages, it was deemed unjust to favor one language over others.
Since the United States has become a multicultural country, choosing one language among them was considered unfair.
In 1780, John Adams proposed English as the official language to the Continental Congress, but the idea did not gain traction. While an urban legend suggests that Congress almost approved German as the official language in the US.
The United States has recognized English as its official state language but it has not been officially declared.
Today, the federal government of the United States has not declared English as the official language; a majority of states (31 out of 50) have recognized English as their official state language.
Even though 32 of the 50 US states and five US territories have recognized English as an official language.
Nowadays, English is still mandatory in school at all levels and a requirement for graduation.
However, more and more, various foreign languages continue to thrive in America. One of them, Spanish, spoken by approximately 11% of U.S. citizens, holds the position of the second most popular language, followed by Chinese, French, German, etc.
It is clear that, due to the different influences of the local language and culture, English in the US has regional variations, including grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing style.
Americans speak worse English than immigrants
As immigration to the United States continues to increase, the proportion of Americans who speak English fluently has severely declined, resulting in many English-speaking Americans earning more than immigrants.
According to an assessment by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), many American students are not fluent in English despite being the second to third generation of immigrant families.
The main reason for this is the parallel use of other languages, resulting in English becoming a second language, which has led to an increase in the number of American students learning English in schools.
Despite the diversity of languages and cultures, English remains the primary language of choice for U.S. citizens.
