Do I Speak English? Matt Antezana Blog 3

Yes, I do speak English. The question of whether or not someone speaks English is another one of those popular questions in the US that is constantly asked. This is no doubt a result of the "melting pot" that is the US. I myself have been asked this question, no doubt because of the way I look, and I have always responded with a yes and a fluently. While the US has no official language and by no means has an English only policy, one cannot deny that English is the most prominent language in the US. Being able to speak English is seen almost as a requirement to be an American and learning English is one of the main priorities for immigrants in America. I myself am proud that I am fluent in both English and Spanish, as both have become necessary for my life. English is in important in all aspects of my life; while Spanish is important in communicating with relatives, keeping up with my latino heritage, and even as a valuable skill.

In Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson states that print-languages laid the bases for national consciousness in three ways (Anderson, 44). The first way in which this occurred is that "they created unified fields of exchange and communication below Latin and above the spoken vernaculars" (Anderson, 44). English in the US is a classic example of this because it is used to communicate across all possible fields of communication ranging from internet communications or simple phone calls. It is by these means that the millions of people in America can communicate with each other across the entire American territory. It is through these communications that the millions of inhabitants in the US become aware of one another without ever needing to meet each other and become connected through these English fueled communications that make up an integral part of a community.

I believe that the second base of national consciousness argued by Anderson applies to the role of language and its role in imagining a nation. Anderson claims that "print-capitalism gave a fixity to language, which in the long run helped build that image of antiquity so central to the subjective idea of a nation," (Anderson, 44). English (and any language) in the US goes hand in hand with print as language is necessary for print to exist in any form. In current times print isn't just recorded in books but is recorded in various other mean such as the internet. While it is possible to burn books, print that is recorded on the internet cannot be destroyed and it is in this way that is solidifies our language for future generations. Print, in its various forms, also serves as social capital as it viewed as being necessary for interaction among the various members and communities of a nation.