| What level of English Speaking Skills Should be | | | | article, fill out a job application, understand safety |
| Required of New Citizens? | | | | warnings, talk to their co-workers, discuss their |
| As the immigration debate moves forward, a | | | | children's grades with their teachers, take a |
| common mantra across the spectrum is that | | | | driver's license test, respond to a police officer's |
| illegal immigrants (and possibly citizens) would have | | | | questions, and describe their medical problems in |
| to learn English to become naturalized. The | | | | English. Second, increasing English speaking skills for |
| question is, what level of English is required? The | | | | immigrants won't happen overnight. We need to |
| naturalization law clearly states that individuals | | | | dramatically increase the incentives and |
| must read, write, and speak English before | | | | opportunities for immigrants to improve their |
| becoming naturalized U.S. citizens. As a former | | | | speaking skills by opening more English as a |
| director of a citizenship program back in | | | | Second language classes in churches, schools, and |
| mid-1990s, I can verify that the Clinton | | | | community centers. |
| administration's standard didn't go beyond | | | | After all, if we want to enforce higher standards |
| answering a few set questions in English and | | | | for future citizens we must first create open |
| writing two sample sentences that were dictated. | | | | more adult school classrooms. English has become |
| The most common sentences were "I love the | | | | the common global language for business, culture, |
| U.S." and "My family lives in the U.S." Wow! What | | | | and research. It's reasonable to ask new |
| standards! But the ruse worked, and over six | | | | American citizens to actually speak the common |
| million folks became naturalized before the 1996 | | | | language. It is disheartening to know that a |
| election. Of course, the new citizens were | | | | measly $400 million has been appropriated for one |
| overwhelming Democrat… and were | | | | full year of Adult Education needs. That looks like |
| concentrated in five key states: California, New | | | | a state budget - for such a Herculean task. Rep. |
| York, Illinois, Florida, and Texas. Clinton won | | | | Raul Grijalva, a democrat from Arizona, is asking |
| re-election, many Republicans cried foul, and | | | | his fellow members in the House of |
| immigration became even more politicized. | | | | Representatives to co-sign a letter that will be |
| Eventually, Congress ordered new standards. | | | | sent to appropriators asking for: |
| PriceWaterhouse did a study to revise and | | | | $750 million for funding under Title II of the |
| modernize the naturalization system. | | | | Workforce Investment Act (WIA) |
| So what does the Obama administration plan? | | | | $850 million for funding under Title III of the No |
| The preliminary indications are not much better | | | | Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) |
| than the Clinton standard. (For historical | | | | That makes a lot of sense in terms of allocation |
| perspective, immigrants after WWII had to write | | | | of funds for two different areas of concern. The |
| two long essays on a principle of the government | | | | Obama administration will also have to provide far |
| or historical event.) Here's another question: will | | | | more funding in the future to make |
| the next immigration bill include a minimum number | | | | comprehensive immigration reform popular. |
| of classroom hours of instruction in English? The | | | | What about those adults who are the bread |
| amnesty bill of 1986 required 40 hours of | | | | winners but are still not comfortable with English |
| classroom instruction. What will the 2009 bill | | | | as a medium of expression? As the Obama |
| require? If the answer is anything less than 100 | | | | administration begins pushing for a new citizenship |
| hours, then you know that moving millions of | | | | bill which will face considerable political opposition, it |
| immigrants to a fast track toward citizenship has | | | | should prepare the immigrant advocates for the |
| a higher priority than maintaining English as a | | | | probability of higher English speaking standards. |
| common language. Is that a good idea? Perhaps | | | | Some sort of mandatory classroom attendance, |
| not. | | | | especially for healthy workers, seems likely. Of |
| First, the failure to mandate English classes will | | | | course, the tests will also have to flexible for the |
| hand immigration opponents a huge advantage. | | | | disabled and seniors who face more hurdles in |
| Let's be clear: every new United States citizen | | | | learning a new language. |
| should be able to read a USA Today newspaper | | | | |