ENGLISH: DO WE NEED TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL?

There seems to be talk of making English the official (legal) language of our country, but is it really necessary? Any person wanting to live successfully in the United States will know that it is an essential and fundamental part of our life, as its universal use by all legal, financial, commercial and medical concerns seemingly make it official.

English is undoubtedly the finest language in the world. It has the largest vocabulary and a wealth of fine literature and is certainly important in the commercial, economic and international fields to open doors of opportunity. That doesn't mean that we should be exclusive and try to prevent the use of other languages. It is also true that when one knows another language, that knowledge can also open avenues of learning about other cultures and literature. A scientist will recognize the importance of German. Latin, Greek and Hebrew are particularly important in religious and biblical studies.

Our use of English is not that perfect even if it is a superior language. A British friend who taught English at the University of Buenos Aires used to chide North Americans for converting nouns into verbs by adding an "ize." For example, "glamour" becomes "glamorized" to make an event or situation seem to be glamorous.

One has to admit that languages can be divisive. Once when I was in Quebec City, I tried to supplement my limited knowledge of French with some Spanish words. I was politely told by Canadian friends not to try to introduce another language.

The French academy tries to control the French language, and the French are annoyed by the ever growing use of what they call "Americanisms."

Remember the attempt to make Esperanto a universal language? Who will determine which is our official (correct) English? Should it be turned over to Congress? Should the language be considered Republican or Democrat? Will Congress ever agree if English is politically correct? Would the phrases become party lines?

In the long run it will be shown that new words will infiltrate a language, since language is really controlled by the people in spite of efforts to the contrary. One can notice a difference in English-language meanings in different parts of the United States, and it is particularly noticeable from one generation to another. Words once unacceptable are now a part of our everyday language and conversation. The direction a language will take depends upon its general usage or acceptance by the vast majority of the population. The media are having an increasing influence on what we hear and understand.

We admit that we are a monolingual country, but not everyone speaks that one language all that well. Someone has said anyone can learn several languages, but it is the task of a lifetime to master one. I think that, more important than to make English our official language, our greater challenge would be to improve our use and understanding of it. At the same time we must admit that a serious study of another language can help us develop knowledge and appreciation of our own language and to know that in other languages a double negative may be preferred.

Ivan H. Nothdurft of Cape Girardeau is a clergyman who retired in 1982 after 20 years with the American Bible Society.