CONCERNING your article about reactions to the recommendation by David Blunkett that people should attempt to use English in their home. (Citizen, Sept 19).
Mark Hendrick MP accuses Mr Blunkett of being 'patronising'. I suggest Mr Blunkett is a realist.
Ishwer Tailor is quoted: "There's nothing wrong with using your own language at home". I assume Mr Tailor is a British citizen, therefore English is his own language, but I can understand why he uses Gujarati when talking with his elderly mother. Hussain Mulla said: "The younger generation speak English when at school and when at play". I travel regularly by bus and I hear children from local schools talking languages other than English.
I can see problems arising as a separatist attitude can create a ghetto environment. Immigrants to the USA are required to be able to speak English before being granted citizenship.
People of foreign origins wholive in the UK must accept English is the 'common language'. Their original language is part of their cultural heritage, to be remembered but not to be used in daily matters.
Peter Walmsley, Aspels Crescent, Penwortham
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