enth of the United States and spent that amount accommodating only two languages. A similar dual language policy would cost the United States more then $60 billion over 10 ten years. Depending on the exact number of languages accommodated of the total 329, these Canadian calculations take the price tag of the official multilingualism in the United States up to $10 billion per year, or over $100 billion for 10 years, (Annual Report of The Canadian Commissioner of Official Languages).
There are other benefits from making English the official language aside from cost savings. Making English the official language of the United States will bring more people together by providing a common means of communication. Official English unites Americans because it encourages immigrants to learn English. Alexis De Tocqueville once said, “The tie of language is perhaps the strongest and the most durable that can unite MANKIND,” ("Common Language Quotes"). Bringing people together with one language is better than creating colonies of people who cannot understand each other without interpreters. The government should actually be trying to help immigrants learn English so they can enjoy the vast benefits our society has to offer. Many people say the founding fathers chose not to have English as the official language as the United States. This is definitely not true. If that is the reason for not making it official we had better go back to justifying such things as state legislatures choosing senators, legal slavery, and denying women the right to vote. One question people ask is “Why didn’t the founding fathers make English the official language?” With all fifty-five delegates from the constitutional convention ...