Language is political. The English Only movement argues that every American citizen should be asked to learn to speak in English only because, even though Spanish, in most cases, may be becoming the virtual lingua franca of the country, the liberty to stay different will break the unifying fabric of the nation. The English Plus movement, on the other hand, finds the English Only movement exclusive and denying the basic cultural and constitutional rights to citizens with non-English backgrounds to profess their linguistic identities. Read the articles from Dvorak and Torres regarding the two movements.

Keeping in mind Van Herk’s discussion on asymmetrical bilingualism and diglossia in Chapter 10, analyze the two articles and the motives of the English Only and English Plus movements. What do you think should be the linguistic face of the country? Elaborate on your suggestion with regard to its implication on the school system, media attitudes, justice system, and other domains of life in our society.