English Plus is an American
language plurality movement formed in reaction to the
English-only movement
The English-only movement, also known as the Official English movement, is a political movement that advocates for the exclusive use of the English language in official United States government communication through the establishment of English ...
. The intent was to promote greater acceptance of
language diversity in the United States in order to encourage a broader American cultural development and more international perspectives. This would be achieved by encouraging education in English as well as secondary languages across the entire population, for immigrants and natives alike. This movement has been supported by language education professionals and
minority language
A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities. With a total number of 196 sovereign states recognized internationally (as of 2019) and ...
advocacy groups.
"English Plus" resolutions have been passed in the U.S. states of
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
,
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
,
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
, and
Washington.
History
The term "English Plus" originated in a 1985 letter to then-
Secretary of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
William Bennett
William John Bennett (born July 31, 1943) is an American conservative politician and political commentator who served as the third United States secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 under President Ronald Reagan. He also held the post of d ...
from the
Spanish American League Against Discrimination.
Notes
See also
*
Seal of Biliteracy
References
* .
{{refend
External links
English Plus Versus English Only
English-only movement
1985 neologisms
1985 in education
1985 in the United States
Bilingualism