Learning English

is essential if you are to become part of the community in this country. Like it or not English is the official language. 

Yes, English is a difficult language to learn. If you come from another country and you have not had the opportunity to get much of an education it might be very difficult. It still needs to be done.

There was criticism in the media and elsewhere when the leader of the current Opposition said policy would be to require people to learn English if they wanted to become citizens of this country. They would need to do this along with accepting the "values" of this country and doing that by formally signing a document. 

Apparently this is not seen as acceptable. One of my neighbours actually considers it to be "racist" and "Islamophobic". When I tried to point out that learning English actually increases the safety and well being of individuals he responded with the well worn "this country is multicultural and people have the right to use their own language". 

No, they do not have that right. The first language of this country is English. It is the language which allows us to function as a society. Yes it is possible to do what my sister's late mother-in-law did. P...learned very little English. She relied on her husband and her children to deal with many things. She shopped in the supermarket where there were Greek speaking check out assistants. She was a dressmaker by profession - and a very, very good one - but it did not mean she needed to speak English. Most of her clients were Greek speakers. With Middle Cat she spoke a mixture of Greek and English. She did the same with me. Middle Cat went to Greek classes and understood far more than I did. I did not go to Greek classes and would guess what she was trying to tell me from the context. That is changing now. My nephews understand some Greek but last Christmas nobody was speaking Greek. The next generation will probably not understand any at all. 

I have a smattering of this language and that language and I understand more than I can say in more than one language but I do not speak a second language. Had I moved to a country where English was not the first language I would have made every effort to learn the other languages. It would have been something I saw (and still see) as essential. It is a safety issue. It is a mental health essential.  I consider myself very fortunate my own first language is one which is so widely spoken and understood. 

I am concerned, very concerned, when people come up with phrases like "diversity, equity and inclusion" and suggest people should not need to learn English when they come here. It is divisive. It is not equal. It excludes.