If the question is level of fluency,, I can agree that this is an impossible standard to dictate. My feeling is that people should know the language enough to survive and do business.....

everyone who comes here does so for a better life, yet certain requirements are expected,,,its not an emotional issue its an issue of survivability and contribution

of course there are and should be exceptions , but they are just EXCEPTIONS which should be taken case by case and not standardized across the board...

refugees with no choice, have options available for assistance until they become able to function and survive on their own

those who rely on others for support, will have to continue to do so ,,,that is immigration law as it pertains to finances and should be the same as it pertains to anything else.....

English has never been voted in as our primary language.

i have actually seen this happen..not any death,but the guy clearly had no clue what he was doing.
drove right thru a flashing red light,and t boned another car.
couldnt speak a word of english.
and he had a license..how did he pass the test??

btw,Great reply and well said

I'd still like an answer on what is meant by, individuals seeking a better life.

which article, I didnt read anything about the costs besides the risk of losing certain federal funding,,,,

so?
i still stand by this statement.

im kinda baffled..English IS the common Known language of the usa

and whether or not its been voted on?

again..so?

since the day we came here and stole this country from the indians,english has been the common known language...Correct?

so that means it IS our primary language..irregardless of vote.

Legally, to get other languages out of government, English would have to be voted in and signed by a president.

if you don't like the rules our don't feel they apply to you . GET OUT ....

English is taught to the children of this nation all through school, not spanish, not french, not any asian, arabic, or latin, but English. If English is not the language of the US, then why is taught all through school k-12 and other languages only taught in 8-12 and as second languages?

Down here, classes are also taught in Spanish up until the ninth grade. Do you believe, after all that time, there are a lot of kids who still can't speak English?

she made a point I hadnt thought of,, there is actually REQUIRED IN THE CURRICULUM a course called ENGLISH.. ( I think one must currently have four years of it to graduate to higher education).

wow. I've said almost those exact words many a time.

"irregardless" isn't word in the English language.
Just thought I'd point that out. Perhaps you need a refresher course in English.

Actually, it was, historically as it gets ...

... Back in the times of the original 13 colonies when we were blending many mother tongues ...

German lost by a vote of one colony ...

Hence, English, voted in as the American language by the majority!

Origin
The origin of irregardless is not known for certain, but the speculation among references is that it may be a blend, or portmanteau word, of irrespective and regardless, both of which are commonly accepted standard English words. By blending these words, an illogical word is created. Another possibility is that when people say "irregardless" they are following the pattern of words like "irrelevant", "irrational" and "irregular". "Since the prefix ir- means 'not' (as it does with irrespective), and the suffix -less means 'without,' irregardless is a double negative."[1] According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Irregardless was first acknowledged in 1912 by the Wentworth American Dialect Dictionary as originating from western Indiana. Barely a decade later, the usage dispute over irregardless was such that, in 1923, Literary Digest published an article titled "Is There Such a Word as Irregardless in the English Language?

im totally crushed by your mighty wisdom,o keeper of the grammar.

if this is what you feel the need to do,posting stupid little zingers like this,then perhaps you need a refresher course in courtesy and class.

btw,if i were to be half as anal as you were,i would merely point out that you forgot an a in your sentence structure.

thanks for the waste of space.
o,and also for showing me what you are all about.

have a nice day.......

If that's true, works for me

If they are paying taxes, why should they pay extra?

Federal funds is a revenue... there are already standards that dictate that tests in other languages are present (this is part of what the federal funding covers).

correct me if I am wrong, but to become a citizen, you have to Be able to read, write, and speak English and have knowledge and an understanding of U.S. history and government (civics)."

(the above quoted from the USCIS) with these exceptions to that:
You Are Exempt From The English Language Requirement, But Are Still Required To Take The Civics Test If You Are:

Age 50 or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have lived as a permanent resident (green card holder) in the United States for 20 years (commonly referred to as the “50/20” exception).
OR
Age 55 or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have lived as a permanent resident in the United States for 15 years (commonly referred to as the “55/15” exception).
Note: Even if you qualify for the “50/20” or “55/15” English language exceptions listed above, you must still take the civics test. You may be permitted to take the civics test in your native language, but only if your command of spoken English is insufficient to conduct a valid examination in English. If you are age 65 or older and have been a permanent resident for at least 20 years at the time of filing for naturalization, you will be given special consideration regarding the civics requirement.




So why should it be different for anything else? I went to the DMV last week with my niece and it would be nearly impossible to have a translator for all of the different languages that I heard there alone.