The English-Only Movement: A Communication Analysis of Changing Perceptions of Language Vitality

Abstract

This paper reexamines the potential impact of the English-only movement on linguistic minorities and Anglos' perceptions of their own and minority groups' language vitality. Of particular interest is the Hispanic population-the fastest growing minority in the U.S. Communication scholars have paid only scant attention to the English-only movement and how it affects the social and communication climate for Latinos. However, literature reviews prepared for the American Psychological Association and for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (in 1991 and 1995, respectively) concluded that English-only initiatives have negative consequences for limited-English proficiency groups. Revisiting this still-growing issue in the light of more recent studies across disciplines and media reports, we examine how Anglo support for English-only policies limits the use, promotion, and salience of minority languages like Spanish in institutional settings and in the linguistic landscape and suggest directions for future research.Communication scholars have paid scant attention to the English-only Movement 4 implementation. They argued that research on the impact of English-only initiatives showed that they result in negative consequences for psychological development, intergroup relations, academic achievement, and health service delivery to limited-proficiency English populations in the U.S.Consequently, the authors advised that it would be unethical for the APA to support English-only initiatives. Dicker, Jackson, Ricento, and Romstedt (1995) articulated the (sociolinguistic) response of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), also labeling this a "destructive social movement" (p. 3). Moreover, media reports about English-only issues, for example, Englishonly SAT tests, English-only driving tests, repeal of language rules in government, and personal discrimination based on English proficiency (Cooper, 1999;Sack, 1999;Westphal, 2000), continue to make the English-only issue salient. Indeed, at least 20 daily newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post, hold an editorial policy opposed to official English (Trulin, 2000). Despite this, and the arguments against the English-only movement provided by Padilla, Dicker, and their respective colleagues, English-only policies and related initiatives have continued to proliferate over the past decade.Our paper relates explicitly to the English-only movement and language issues in the U.S., and to a lesser degree in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However, many of the concerns discussed here with regard to language purism have relevance to similar international contexts, such as language conflicts between Spanish and Catalan speakers in Spain, and Dutch, Flemish, and French language issues in Holland and Belgium (Jernudd, 1989). More recently, Germany has taken issue with the language requirements of European Union meetings (English, French, and host country languages), threatenin...

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