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Why Britain must not set a deadline for everyone to speak English

Source: The Conversation, March 15 2018

The British government should fix a date by which all residents in the UK should be able to speak English, says Louise Casey, who wrote a report for the government on integration in 2016. A common language, she argued, would help to “heal rifts across Britain”.

Casey first recommended that the government promote the English language in order to tackle isolation and segregation in her 2016 report. That recommendation received support even from people who otherwise attacked the report for its focus on the UK’s Muslim communities.

The recent call for action is part of her wider criticism of the government for delaying the improvement of community cohesion. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government only published its new integrated communities strategy green paper on March 14, more than a year after Casey’s review appeared. Boosting English language skills is one of its key aims. Read more... >>>>>