Primary Sources

1. For my primary sources I can use my own personal experience with language as one primary source. I can also interview other people to find out their personal experiences with this topic. Also because I'm also looking into the legislation for making English the Official Language, I can look at official legislation for states that already have passed this, to see how an Official Language actually works, and what choosing an official language actually means.

2. I can interview people on campus to find out their personal experiences, I could also interview a foreign language teacher, to see their opinion on this topic. To find official language legislation I would need to search a government site to see how official language works in law.

Writer Role

Advocate in a Controversy. Here the writer shifts from an informative or evaluative purpose to a persuasive purpose; the paper now becomes a researched argument.

Should the United States make English its official language?

Background Research

In my research I have found that there are many opinions for English as the official language and against it. Some people for English as the official language are simply racist, believing that only English should be spoken, as it is superior. Other supports of it are rational, looking at it from a standpoint that it would make everything more efficient and easier if everyone spoke the same language. People against making English the official language believe that this kind of legislation would solve no problems and would contribute to nativism.

To further my research I need to find out exactly what would go into a bill to make English the official language, and what making English the official language really means. I also want to find out what creates a person's opinion on this topic.

Research Paper Sources

PBS Article: Official American English Only
http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/officialamerican/englishonly/


Making English the Official Language Would Benefit Minorities
http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%2528en%252C%252C%2529%253AFQE%253D%2528su%252CNone%252C7%2529english%2524&contentSet=GSRC&sort=Relevance&tabID=T010&sgCurrentPosition=0&subjectAction=DISPLAY_SUBJECTS&prodId=OVRC&searchId=R1&currentPosition=2&userGroupName=chsd&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28SU%2CNone%2C7%29english%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&displaySubject=&docId=EJ3010055223&docType=GSRC

Debate Over Bilingualism
http://library.cqpress.com.proxy.elmhurst.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1996011900&type=hitlist&num=0&#hit1

Purpose and Audience

Purpose
My purpose in writing this essay is to present my argument as to why English should be the official language of the U.S. to the reader. I want to explain why declaring English as the official language will allow everything to run more efficiently, make communication much easier, and explain the fact that this country was founded by English speakers and all of our historical documents are written in English. I also would like to propose a possible way to declare English as the official language and to teach the language to non-English speakers.

Audience
My audience could be politicians that are interested in this issue. My audience could also be just about anyone, with the fact that the vast majority of people have experienced another language being spoken, or had trouble understanding someone because they spoke another language, this essay could prove interesting to anyone.

Research Exploration

Part I: Exploration
1. Identify the issue or problem that you plan to focus on in your research project

I plan to focus on the issue of declaring English as the official language in the United States.

2. What is your personal connection to an interest in this topic?

I grew up in West Chicago, which has about a one-third Hispanic population, a majority of them Spanish speaking. It has caused me to find my stance on this issue and have an interest in this topic.

3. What opinions do you already hold about this topic?

I already hold that English should be declared the official language, and that the government should sponsor English classes to teach non-English speakers English. I also believe that creating an official language and having everyone speak it would make our country much more efficient.

4. What knowledge do you already have about this topic? What are your main questions about this topic? What are you most curious about?

I already know that the United States does not have an official language. I also know that some people that oppose English as the official language believe that having people learn English will make them lose their culture. I want to know why they think this; I also want to know what countries have an official language, and which languages have been declared as official languages. I also would like to see other arguments against declaring English as the official language.

5. Within what scholarly discipline (such as history, biology, psychology) do you expect to do most of your research? How does this discipline approach or study this topic?

I think that this topic would fit into the disciplines of history and politics. History would work because it can show how language in the United States has changed. I also think that politics would work because this topic is also a very political one. The right side believes that English should be declared the official language and all citizens should speak it, while the left side believes that people should be allowed to speak whatever they want.

6. How could you research this topic outside the library (for example, through interviews and/or observations)?

I could do many interviews, of just anyone to see their particular stance. I could also take a quick survey of people and see what percent of people believe it should be the official language.

Part II: Focusing
Write an initial claim, or an open-ended question, to guide your research on this topic. Make it specific but exploratory. Remember that a good claim opens up an area of inquiry about a topic; a claim should invite evidence, support, and debate.

Why should English be chosen as the official language for the United States?

Research Questions

1. Should English be declared the official language of the United States?

2. Is rehabilitation of felony offenders possible? Desirable?

3. Affirmative Action: Equality or Reverse Discrimination?

Research Articles

Is HGH Hiding Steroid Use? by Bob Nightengale

http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=J0E320512414507&site=ehost-live

Citation: Nightengale, B. (2007, September 12). Is HGH hiding steroid use?. USA Today, p. 1.

Baseball's Steroid Era by T.J. Quinn

http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=25926716&site=ehost-live

Citation: Quinn, T.J. (2007, August). Baseball's steroid era. Men's Fitness, [23(6)], 128-132.

The Juice is Loose by Lou Schuler

http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=16442731&site=ehost-live


Summary of Is HGH Hiding Steroid Use?

Major League Baseball players are finding a way to avoid positive steroid test by using human growth hormone. Gary Wadler of the World Anti-Doping Agency believes that athletes are using HGH, which there is no reliable test for, to hide their steroid use. Using HGH allows players to take lower levels of anabolic steroids, which means they may not be detected when tested. Players often use steroids during the offseason and then using HGH during the season, to maintain. MLB has banned the use of HGH and is helping fund a study to detect the drug.