Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
a sense of cultural identity
cultural identity and sense of belonging
belonging and cultural identity
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: a sense of cultural identity
We all have the a gift of speaking and perceiving languages. Whether it is sound or soundless we use language to communicate with one another.There are many ways to approach someone when it comes to the word choice you use to communicate. Many languages contain different forms in where they can be comprehended. The readings “Does Your Language Shape How You Think?” by Guy Deutscher and “Lost in Translation” by Lera Boroditsky, discuss how the languages we speak can shape the way we think, and the way we perceive things differ from the aspects of language. In general, I agree with the position these both authors take, languages we speak do shape the way we think through grammatical structures, language of space and orientation, and time. Grammatical …show more content…
Deutscher acknowledges that Whorf, a linguist who claimed that the mother tongue one speaks enables one’s way of thinking, made a mistake in his theory. Deutscher believes that instead of focusing on searching evidence for what stops the language speaker from thinking, the focus should be centered on how our mother tongue may help shape how we think about the world (448). He shares how the German, French, Russian, and Spanish languages compels the native speaker to use grammatical structure with the use of gender when naming objects. Furthermore he continues to say, “And as anyone whose mother tongue has a gender system will tell you, once the habit has taken hold, it is all but impossible to shake it off.” (449). My native language is Spanish, I became fluent in English when I was 5, and I came to learn French at the age of 14. When learning French at a much older age, I did notice how in English I didn’t have to express certain objects, scenes with precise and broad terms. For example, in French and Spanish there are separate gender pronouns for objects, unlike in English where the words “it” or “the” are usually used when speaking about the object. Obviously, the objects …show more content…
Deutscher himself speaks of two ways most people use to describe directions. The two terms are referred as “egocentric” and “geographic” directions. Egocentric directions require verbal instructions that include some relative directions such as left, right, up, down, forwards, and backwards (450). On the other hand, geographic directions include descriptions such as, south, north, west, and east. Personally it is way easier for me and society to think of our relative directions to be much easier to describe in contrasts to having a constant compass in our minds. Using the terms left and right are the usual daily descriptions I use to almost everything. I find it almost impossible to understand and adapt to saying “on your southwest”, putting much thought and focus on the phrase I come to realize it is lower or bottom left. It is much easier to use the egocentric coordinates because it is much uncomplicated to adapt to since they are more visual (450). Deutscher speaks about an Australian language named, Guugu Yimithirr, that does not use the effortless description of directions using egocentric but rather uses cardinal directions. Guugu Yimithirr speakers use the cardinal directions for everything, whether it is moving from one side to the other, west to east, or simply just forgetting something on the table, “I left it on the southern edge of the western table.” (451) I wouldn’t
How much does language truly affect the way that we think? In “Nothing is Missing,” Tom Munnecke discusses the limitations that arise when being confined to unique “linguistic shells.” However, after an eye-opening trip to Japan language paradoxes that once hindered the fluidity of his thoughts were depleted. Through his own experiences with thinking and speaking in different languages, Munnecke was able to open his mind and view the world in a more progressive way. The “linguistic shell” that frustrated Munnecke in his early age becomes a lead to many theories that he has about our modern lives. Subsequently, Munnecke is able to relate language, thought, and distance; all of which he concludes have no boundaries within each other. In his memoir
Language is a powerful tool and manner on how we, as people, live and socialize. It is a gateway to communication and how to interpret things. As humans, we often distinguish ourselves as individuals through language, creating a sort of identity through linguistics among our fellow peers. In present times, it is just as significant how we say things as to what we say. It has become the norm to categorize others based off how they speak. This act of divergence is powerful, the judging prematurely of and setting standards to certain social groups leads to stereotyping and cultural bias. Linguistic determinism
In The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior to Language Whorf brings up the idea that the language we use daily has an effect on our actions because language influences the way we think about certain things. He describes his way of thinking when he states, "concepts of 'time' and 'matter' are not given in substantially the same form by experience to all men but depend upon the nature of the language or languages through the use of which they have been developed (Whorf)."
I was surprised because, for the first time, I realized that Spanglish isn’t as normal as I think it is. Ortego states that Spanglish works “bi-directionally”, which means I can be speaking Spanish and mix in some English words, or vice versa (176). Behind an action I carry out every day, advantages that go unnoticed finally popped up. According to Boroditsky, the Kuuk Thaayorre are always spatially oriented because the only way for them to communicate successfully is by referring to each of the cardinal points (5). In a similar way, Spanglish speakers always need to be well aware of both languages to be able to understand the meaning of sentences when speaking. Ortego says that this “code-switching occurs logically” in the sentences, which suggests that Spanglish challenges our brains allowing us to become more dynamic and efficient when speaking (176). Spanglish causes Spanish and English to intertwine, taking the most suitable words from each language to make a conversation much more practical and flowing. We become so quick and agile at doing this, that our brains don’t have to stop and think about the right words to express ourselves. As Spanglish speakers, we can navigate from one language to another in no time and choose any word that enhances our speech and clarifies our intentions. Yet, it was with the help of Boroditsky’s research and support
Deutscher, Guy. Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages. Excerpt ‘Does Your Language Shape How You Think?’
In order for us to communicate, we must speak a language. In order for us to identify to a culture, we must speak the language of the culture. Language is an essential tool in culture. Humans express themselves through writing and speaking, but we must understand what each other is saying to communicate properly. In American society, we must be aware of all the different cultures and their languages. The Spahr-Whorf Synopsis demonstrates how our particular language affects our perception. “Language not only expresses ideas but also shapes ideas about and perceptions of the world (Martin & Nakayama, 141.)” The Spahr-Whorf Synopsis describes a good relationship between culture and language
To What Degree Might Different Languages Shape In Their Speakers Different Concepts Of Themselves And The World? What Are The Implications Of Such Differences For Knowledge?
In her article, How Does Our Language Shape the Way We Think, Lera Boroditsky (2009) explains how the results of her experiments support the idea that the structure of language shapes the way we think. In one of her experiments, she found that English speakers would place cards showing temporal progression in temporal order from left to right, Hebrew speakers would place them right to left, and that the Kuuk Thaayorre would place them from east to west. This shows that the written language affects how time is represented to them. In another one of her experiments, she asked German and Spanish speakers to describe some items and found that the masculinity or femininity of the noun in their respective languages affects how it is ultimately described. This can also be seen in how artists represent the human form of abstract entities like death. Boroditsky concludes that “Language is central to our experience of being human, and the languages we speak profoundly shape the way we think, the way we see the world, the way we live our lives.” (Core reader p. 49) I would like to add that language is also the foundation of a person’s culture, pride, and self by exploring articles written by Eric Liu, Amy Tan, and Gloria Anzaldua.
In conclusion, when trying to understand the effects of language one will find that it can serve as the structure of a society as well as determine the ways in which individuals are viewed and valued within that society. In this case, the social construction of gender are responsible for the differences in women's linguistic behavior and how it relates to their secondary place in the male-dominated world. Because of such distinguished roles, different linguistic strategies are acquired by female and male subcultures in culture and social organization.
Grammatical gender is the categorization of nouns into masculine and feminine, and (in addition) neuter in some languages. Grammatical gender is not always in accord with the natural gender of the nouns. Especially in languages with binary gender distinction, in which a noun is either masculine or feminine, the grammatical gender of inanimate nouns, abstract nouns, etc, is not always predictable and should be learnt as such. Even in some languages with masculine–feminine–neuter distinction (eg, German), inanimate nouns could be masculine, feminine, or neuter. Thus, grammatical gender of nouns in such languages poses difficulty to second/foreign language learners. In such languages, most often, noun endings provide clues to the
Since English is essential in getting by in America, people are more likely to judge a person by his/her English mastery. If you speak English well and fluently, you are quite respected. In other words, if you speak “Broken” English, they may subconsciously think of you as less intelligent than people who speak Standard English. However, does a person’s language mastery reflect complete personality? Since it has not been officially approved that language reveals complete personality, it is inaccurate to judge a person by his/her language mastery.
Languages are continually changing and developing, and these changes occur in many different ways and for a variety of reasons. Language change is detectable to some extent in all languages, and ‘similar paths of change’ can be recognised in numerous unrelated languages (Bybee, 2015, p. 139). Since users of language all over the world have ‘the same mental processes’ and ‘use communication for the same or very similar ends’ (Bybee, 2015, p. 1), similar changes occur on the same linguistic aspects, and in many cases these changes produce similar results in multiple languages. However, language change is limited by the function it performs. Languages must be learnt to such an extent which allows communication between the generation above and below one’s own (McMahon, 1994, p. 5). Hence language change is a gradual, lethargic process, as only small changes in
Have you ever wondered who taught you to talk the way you do? People learn to talk and express themselves everyday of their lives. Starting from the day you were born you used language or some form of it to communicate with those around you. As a baby you usually show your displeasure with your new surroundings by crying, and if you don’t the doctor will make sure you do. Everyday we express our point of view to others in some form of language. Whether it is through verbal communication, written discourse or through body language, you can tell if a person is upset, angry, or happy. We as human beings don’t realize how much language has to do with our lives. How can you determine if one of your friends is angry with you? Is there a different tone to their voice? Do they have a stern look on their face? Of course they do, your friend feels the need to express their anger to you by these different forms of language. Where do we learn to use these different forms of language? How are our uses of these languages shaped? The three main contributing factors to how we express ourselves through language come from our schooling, our friends, and most of all from our families.
Language has oral, written and non-verbal aspects, that can be seen and heard, and which are socially and culturally influenced. Although languages have common features, these social and cultural influences also create great diversity among languages and varieties, often leading to a perception that some varieties have greater value or status. In addition, social and cultural context play a large role in meaning-making. Children develop language as a result of social and cultural interactions, based on a growing awareness of the functions of language, and how language can be used. This understanding of the different types and uses of language increases as children experience language outside of the home. As their understanding of these different roles of language grows, children gain the ability to select and use the appropriate language for a particular context or
The book An Intorduction of Sociolinguistics is an outstanding introductary book in the field of sociolinguistics. It encompasses a wide range of language issues. In chapter 13, Wardhaugh provides a good insight to the relationship between language and gender. He explains gender differences of language-in-use with concise examples. Wardhaugh riases questions about sexist language and guides readers to look closer at how people use language differently because of their own gender in daily life. According to the Whorfian hypothesis, which indicates that the way people use language reflects their thoughts, different genders adapt different communication strategies.