The Swaying Language Policy

Language diversity, a phenomenon that has existed in the United States since the beginning of its history as a nation, has become a highly contentious issue in recent decades. With the continuous controversies over English Only vs. bilingual education, Language policy has often come to a hot topic of political debates in the United States, which is proved by swaying language policy in the twentieth century.During the twentieth century, American language policy twice alternated English Only with bilingual education. English Only, once supported in the early 20th century, was replaced by bilingual education in 1960s with the promulgation of Bilingual Education Act of 1968. What's more surprising, America reemphasized English Only with the rise of"English Only"movement in 1980s.Generally speaking, Language policy is relatively stable and conservative, for it is always slowly changing and evolving. However, American language policy in the twentieth century, just as a large pendulum clock, sways between English Only and bilingual education during no more than thirty years. This is really unimaginably queer.Therefore, starting from the characteristics of swaying in American language policy durning the 20th century and combining with the complex national and international situation in America, this paper reveals the true nature of language policy in the United States that is to constantly assimilate and suppress other languages, and finally to stand up for the status of English in the United States. This research does not help us learn more about the close relation between language and power, culture and identity, but also social factors behind American language policy.