FILE NUMBER........

Whereas, The English language is the most widely used language in

the area of finance, trade, technology, diplomacy and entertainment, and is

the living library of the last 100 years of scientific and technological

advances; and

Whereas, There are more persons who speak English as a second

language in the world than there are native speakers of English, and the

numerous schools that teach English around the world demonstrate that the

English language is soon to become the prevalent language used throughout

the world; and

Whereas, According to the 1990 decennial census, 94 percent of the

citizens of the United States speak English; and

Whereas, It is universally accepted that a common language promotes

unity and fosters better communication; and

Whereas, During the 20th century a renaissance in cultural

assertiveness around the world has developed, and the more interdependent

nations have become economically, the more interested the nations are in

preserving and sharing cultural identities; and

Whereas, Many American Indian languages are indigenous to the

United States and should be preserved, encouraged and utilized, as these

languages were used during World War II when the Navajo Code Talkers

created a code that could not be broken by the Japanese or the Germans;

and

Whereas, Knowledge of the different languages existing in today’s

world enhances competitiveness and growth in world trade and promotes

economic expansion by the creation of regional trading blocs such as the

North American Free Trade Agreement and the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations; and

Whereas, A skilled labor force is crucial to the competitiveness of the

State of Nevada in today’s national and global economy, and a knowledge

of foreign languages enhances communication and diplomatic efforts by

fostering greater communication and understanding between nations and

can promote a greater understanding between different ethnic and racial

groups within the United States; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

Concurring, That the members of the Nevada Legislature do hereby:

1. Support and encourage Nevadans to master the English language

and other languages;

2. Recognize the importance of English as the unifying language of the

United States and the importance of English fluency for citizens who desire

to succeed in American society;

3. Recognize that a command of the English language is a critical

component of the success and productivity of the children in Nevada and

should be encouraged at all ages;

4. Recognize that a skilled labor force is crucial to Nevada’s

competitiveness in a global economy and the ability to speak one or more

languages in addition to English is a significant skill;

5. Recognize that knowledge of the Spanish language, in particular, is

vital for building future cultural and economic bridges to Latin America;

and

6. Support educational programs designed to teach English as well as

other foreign languages; and be it further

Resolved, That the residents of the State of Nevada are hereby

encouraged to take advantage of all educational opportunities to realize

their potential in the mastery of the English language and other languages.

~