Every nation must have those practices which are shared by all citizens. I believe a common language is one of those practices. For nonEnglish speaking immigrants. the learning of the English language is the first task to be mastered. This has been true for the last 200 years. I believe we do a grave disservice to immigrants if we allow them to believe they can fully participate in the many opportunities this country offers if they do not learn English. This simply is not true. If a person doesnt have a working knowledge of English. he cant fill out a job application. cannot participate in community affairs. cannot be a good consumer. Not only is the immigrant himself shut out of our society. we as a nation suffer the loss of his contributions. If diversity has made us strong. we must have a means of communication to share that diversity. If I were to move to France tomorrow. how could I possibly expect to be a productive member of that nation if I were to continue speaking only English?
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immigrant immigrants