Some Thoughts on Language in America on this Independence Day, 2013

Recently, I attended a party this summer, and the conversation quickly turned to world travel, and the ensuing stories many of the guests told were about unfamiliar pronunciations, faulty comprehension, and the natural insecurities of traveling overseas or abroad without the certain knowledge of the native language. As it happened, I quickly added, “The United States never had an official federal language.  Still doesn’t.” One [...]