I progressed in classes , I was making mistakes at a somewhat higher level .
This feels like a particularly good time to learn Spanish . In the United States , more people speak the language than ever – almost one in five , according to a 2022 U . S . Census Bureau report . Language learning apps like Duolingo , Babbel ( which I use ) and Rosetta Stone are flourishing , with Duolingo reporting that the largest number of its users is in the United States . The app ’ s top users are Spanish speakers learning English , followed by English speakers learning Spanish .
Our nation is delightfully multicultural .
That is why the executive order from the White House declaring English as the official language seems so untimely . The order does not prohibit federal agencies from publishing helpful documents in languages other than English , but an accompanying fact sheet says it “ rescinds a Clinton-era mandate that requires agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide extensive language assistance to non-English speakers .”
This is a time to embrace Spanish and other languages .
When the dust settles in political debates and the perverse hostility toward cultural differences wanes , maybe the nation will realize that diversity is the key ingredient that made America great . •
Norris P . West , a former newspaper reporter and editor , worked at The Baltimore Sun and newspapers in Ohio and Pennsylvania .
Photo Courtesy of Norris P . West
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