-“A national language is a national tie, and what country wants it more than America?” (Noah Webster) - Language, Education, and the Making of an American Republic

What is the relationship between language and

nationhood?

What distinguishes today’s English Only phenomenon is the apocalyptic nature of its fears: that the American language is “threatened” and, with it, the basis of American nationhood . We are warned that unless action is taken to halt our “mindless drift toward a bilingual society,”the United States will soon be balkanized, divided, at war with itself. James Crawford, Hold Your Tongue: Bilingualism and the Politics of English Only

philological: pertaining to the study and knowledge of language;

Thus, the New York Philological Society was a society for the study of language

As you listen, highlight the answers to these questions:

•Why did Webster and the New York Philological Societywant to adopt a national language?

•How was “language” tied to the idea of “nation” in the 18th

and 19th centuries?

•Why was Webster worried about the new nation? Why did he describe it as a “cobweb”?

•How did Webster propose to solve this problem?

•Were Americans more or less diverse in their languages inthe 1790s than today?

Maintaining the New Republic• Historically: small, homogeneous, and

tended to fail

• Virtue

• How do you teach citizens to be virtuous?

• Education for women

Creating a National Language

• Noah Webster

• Benjamin Franklin

Common Schools

• Free, Common Schools

• Catharine Beecher

• Truman & Smith (Cincinnati)

• William Holmes McGuffey

McGuffey’s Readers• Originally written for a western market

• Sold nationally; 122 million copies by 1920

• “NO SECTIONAL matter, reflecting upon the local institutions, customs, or habits of any portion of the United States"

Exercises in ArticulationIncorrect Correct

Ev’ry for ev-er-y

Trav’ler “ trav-el-er

Sev’ral “ sev-er-al

In-ser-lent “ in-so-lent

Croc-ud-ile “ croc-o-dile

Lec’choor “ lec-tyur

Morn-in “ morn-ing

Ac’s “ acts

In-class Exercises (choose one)1) McGuffey’s Reader• How does the

reader try to teach values to students?

• What are those

values?

• In what way does it help create a common “American” culture?

2) Design a Reader• What are the values

you want to instill?

• Create a cover (art & title)

• Table of Contents

From House Resolution 123, (Passed in 1996)

The Congress finds and declares the following:

1. Throughout the history of the United States, the common thread binding individuals of differing backgrounds has been a common language.

2. In order to preserve unity in diversity, and to prevent division along linguistic lines, the Federal Government should maintain a language common to all people.

3. English has historically been the common language and the language of opportunity in the United States

4. 7) By learning the English language, immigrants will be empowered with the language skills and literacy necessary to become responsible citizens and productive workers in the United States