this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2024
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Do they say this out loud?
Still and all, USA has no national language.
English is the national language, I only know this because it was going to be German, but the decided against that. And yes, those are the only words they seem to know in that situation, “no English” so idk how else that is to be interpreted.
Does the USA have an official language?
"No English" can be interpreted many ways. A few examples might be: "It's really hard to learn, I've tried and I just can't get it!" "I don't make enough money to take lessons, and I don't know anyone who will teach me. Will you?" "I've learned some English, but I feel nervous speaking to strangers."
I suppose "I refuse" is possible. I assume people with such an attitude are in the minority (I'm an optimist).
Based on anecdotal evidence, "I refuse" may be more common than you think. I live in Switzerland, and out of all the expats I know who have been here a long time (20+ years), a large percentage (over half) of them still can't speak German. At all. Like, they can maybe say "thank you" but that's about the extent of their vocabulary, and many of them actually seem to be quite proud of the fact that they've made absolutely zero attempt to integrate into the local community or culture.
Now, although I'm fully aware that there are a hell of a lot of differences between Switzerland and the US, it still wouldn't be at all surprising to me if there were large groups of immigrants in the US who similarly resist learning English.
I wouldn't say it's a point of pride in the US usually, because it does make life difficult and limited. In the US, a lot of situations simply require English. It means relying on friends and family as translators, so the person can be at their mercy. They also can become very isolated within their immigrant communities while they watch the younger multilingual generations be able to integrate. My impression is that it is usually older people who struggle most learning English that remain in this group. I can't think of anyone who is even vaguely younger who didn't make an effort to learn English.
I remember a middle aged Iranian woman who was taking ELL courses at my university. We happen to be at the gym at the same time some nights. I could tell it was a struggle, but she was clearly picking up more of the language.