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[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 236 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 236

    To express the sense of the Senate regarding English plus other 
                               languages.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 1998

   Mr. Domenici (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Hatch, Mr. DeWine, Mr. 
   Chafee, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Abraham, and Mrs. 
 Hutchison) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
               the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    To express the sense of the Senate regarding English plus other 
                               languages.

Whereas English is the most widely used language in the areas of finance, trade, 
        technology, diplomacy, and entertainment, and is the living library of 
        the last 100 years of scientific and technological advance;
Whereas there are more speakers of English as a second language in the world 
        than there are native English speakers, and the large number of English 
        language schools around the world demonstrates that English is as close 
        as any language has been to becoming the world's common language;
Whereas English is the common language of the United States, is important to 
        American life and individual success, and 94 percent of United States 
        residents speak English according to the 1990 decennial census;
Whereas immigrants to the United States have powerful incentives to learn 
        English in order to fully participate in American society and the 
        Nation's economy, and 90 percent of all immigrant families become fluent 
        in English within the second generation;
Whereas a common language promotes unity among citizens, and fosters greater 
        communication;
Whereas there is a renaissance in cultural assertiveness around the world, 
        noting that the more interdependent nations become economically, the 
        more interested the nations are in preserving and sharing cultural 
        identity;
Whereas the reality of a global economy is an ever-present international 
        development that is fostered by international trade and the creation of 
        regional trading blocs, such as the European Union, Mercosur, the North 
        American Free Trade Agreement and the Association of Southeast Asian 
        Nations;
Whereas knowledge of English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, 
        Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, African languages, Farsi, sign language, 
        and the many other languages of the world, enhances competitiveness and 
        tremendous growth in world trade;
Whereas the United States is well postured for the global economy and 
        international development with the United States' diverse population and 
        rich heritage of languages from all around the world;
Whereas many American Indian languages are indigenous to the United States, and 
        should be preserved, encouraged, and utilized, as the languages were 
        used during World War II when the Navajo Code Talkers created a code 
        that could not be broken by the Japanese or the Germans;
Whereas Spanish exploration in the New World began in 1512 when Ponce de Leon 
        explored the Florida peninsula, and included the expeditions of 
        Francisco Coronado throughout California to Kansas and across Arizona, 
        New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma from 1540 to 1542;
Whereas the Nation will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first Spanish 
        Settlement of the Southwest (Ohkay Yunge at San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico) 
        with official visits from Spain, parades, fiestas, masses, and other 
        celebrations to emphasize the importance of the first encounters with 
        American Indian cultures and the subsequent importance of encounters 
        with other European cultures;
Whereas Hispanic culture, customs, and the Spanish language are a vital source 
        of familial and individual strength;
Whereas the Bureau of the Census estimates that 1 in 5 Americans will be of 
        Hispanic descent by the year 2030, and the future cultural, political, 
        and economic strengths of this country are clearly dependent upon our 
        Nation's ability to harness the talents and skills of this large and 
        growing segment of the American population;
Whereas it is clearly in the interest of the United States to encourage 
        educational opportunity for and the human potential of all citizens, and 
        to take steps to realize the opportunity and potential;
Whereas a skilled labor force is crucial to the competitiveness of the Nation in 
        today's global economy, foreign language skills are a tremendous 
        resource to the United States, and such foreign language skill enhances 
        American competitiveness in global markets by permitting improved 
        communication and understanding;
Whereas one of the common bonds of Hispanic people is the Spanish language, and 
        promoting the use of Spanish at home and in cultural affairs will 
        benefit not only the growing Hispanic population of the United States 
        but also the economic interests of the entire Nation; and
Whereas knowledge of other languages and other cultures is known to enhance the 
        United States diplomatic efforts by fostering greater communication and 
        understanding between nations, and can promote greater understanding 
        between different ethnic and racial groups within the United States: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the United States Government should pursue policies 
that--
            (1) support and encourage Americans to master the English 
        language plus other languages of the world;
            (2) recognize the importance of English as the unifying 
        language of the United States, and the importance of English 
        fluency for individuals who want to succeed in American 
        society;
            (3) recognize that command of the English language is a 
        critical component of the success and productivity of our 
        Nation's children, and should be encouraged at every age;
            (4) recognize that a skilled labor force is crucial to 
        United States competitiveness in a global economy, and the 
        ability to speak 1 or more languages in addition to English is 
        a significant skill;
            (5) recognize that knowledge of Spanish, in particular, is 
        vital for building future cultural and economic bridges to 
        Latin America;
            (6) support literacy programs, including programs designed 
        to teach English, as well as those dedicated to helping 
        Americans learn and maintain other languages in addition to 
        English; and
            (7) develop our Nation's linguistic resources by 
        encouraging citizens of the United States to learn and maintain 
        Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Korean, 
        Vietnamese, Farsi, African languages, sign language, and the 
        many other languages of the world, in addition to English.
                                 <all>
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