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ORIGINAL: JerseyKrissi72

         Learn to speak Spanish it's a beautiful language- I am doin well with my Spanglish lol...Most countries have to learn 3 diff'rent languages...

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ORIGINAL: sambamanslilgirl
i do take offense however requiring someone who wants a business/commerce license to speak fluent English. how would you, mr politican, determine what is "fluent English" because one person's definition of "fluent" will not be the same as another's. and more than likely it would be challenged in the court system for years until someone expertly decides your definition of "fluent" the defining test to use for any foreign-speaking person wishing to do business here in the US.

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sounds like closet homophobia rearing it's ugly head to me - next you'll probably support a proposal circulating around Congress now - national ID cards (screw using the DLs since anyone including immigrants can get one forged) in ensure that we are all natural born and loyal Americans citizens.

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ORIGINAL: toservez

As a former immigrant who became a citizen whose main language was not English, I do feel in order to become a citizen of this or any other country that you can communicate the language of that country both written and verbal on at least a basic level.

If a person wants to have the rights of a citizen they need to accept the other responsibilities and duties of a citizen and part of that requires the English language. It should not be the taxpayer’s expense to make a person who is a citizen life easier for them. It takes many years to become a citizen, plenty enough time to learn the language on at least a basic level.

People will learn a language based on necessity. If they can get away with not many will not try, but if needed to survive or stay someplace a new language is not too hard to learn. It was my experience that people will bend over backward and be patient in helping a person and there are many ways to learn English that are already in place. Personally I think we do a disservice to immigrants by catering down to them in this way.

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ORIGINAL: uglyduckling

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ORIGINAL: michaelOfGeorgia

should it be a requirement for citizenship in America to be able to speak, read, write and understand English?

i had thought that this was already a requirement, but cannot find a reference to it.

this is not to say that people who speak other languages have to give up those languages, but i think that we should all be able to understand each other more than we currently do.

Ability to speak, read and write in English is a requirement for obtaining US citizenship along with basic knowledge of the US government and history. I would estimate the necessary level for passing the language test at the 4-5th grade, one for passing the civics test at the high school level.

From www.uscis.gov
Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is conferred upon a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The general requirements for administrative naturalization include:

• a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States;
  
• residence in a particular USCIS District prior to filing;
  
• an ability to read, write, and speak English;
  
• a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government;
  
• good moral character;
  
• attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution; and,
  
• favorable disposition toward the United States.

Surprisingly, there are free language classes and citizenship preparation classes for immigrants. In New York state they are often provided be BOCES.