The Language Barrier
Ludwig Wittgenstein wisely said, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world” in Logico-Tractatus Philosophicus. Language colors our reality and the world, and what we see is shaped by the language we use. Speaking one language makes us think the rest of the world perceives the world in the same way. Mastering two or more languages shows us that the world’s outlooks are different with each language (Postman 124).
Susumu Tonegawa, who won a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1987, was quoted in a newspaper, Yomiuri, acknowledging that the Japanese language didn’t emphasize clarity (Postman 124). He said, “We should consider changing our thinking process in the field of science by trying to reason in English.” It was not a declaration that English was a better language than Japanese, but it was an acknowledgement that every language has its own conceptual biases in the way it portrays the world (Postman 124).
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Our thoughts are only decipherable to us in the language we use to communicate. Therefore whatever we cannot think inside cannot exist in the world outside. Thought is not a restraint, but it is limiting due to the language we think in. Therefore, language shapes thought, and thought shapes our perception of reality. Of course, reality is not changed by our thoughts. It remains unchanged, but how we see reality or interpret reality is through our language of
Nevertheless, having two official languages does not restrict an individual from learning a different language or communicating with it – in fact, it is favored. What having two official languages does however, it allows people from different backgrounds to understand each other and their worldviews: creating a sense of
I have lived in the United States for almost three years now. Being natively of Bangladeshi origin, I experience an extremely different lifestyle than Americans do. It is the lifestyle experienced by those you come from other countries to live in the U.S. Being part of this international community, I am more sensitive to and hence aware of issues that primarily affect the lives of these kinds of people than Americans are. Of these many issues, there is one I have identified that comes up in discussions more frequently than others. The issue I am referring to is that of the language barrier that exists between those whose primary language is English and those whose primary language is not English.
What really is a language and how does it affect the world around us? Language is just a structure of words put together to communicate with one another. When one speaks all they are doing is causing their vocal cords to vibrate to produce different sound waves. This sounds so simple, but there are thousands of languages spoken throughout the world and each language is usually connected to a certain place. When someone travels to a different place where a language is foreign to them it can be life-changing as in The Naked Eye. Language constricts our thoughts and identities with the world around us. I’m arguing that language is as much of a necessity in our world as food or water, it’s the basis on how we get through each and every day.
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.
In the article, If Only We All Spoke Two Language, Doufman shares his opinion that America should become multilingual instead of remaining monolingual. Most of the American people support their language because most of the countries around the world are turning towards English. They claim that English is the best language and is used in every aspect of the exchanges between societies. This was manifested in the California referendum where most people rejected adoption of a second language. The essay will “remind” them how it benefited them.
The English and Spanish language abrazándose like íntimos compadres. That is the perfect example of Spanglish. Spanglish is the representation of different cultures, different places, and lots of history within the fusion of two languages. It allows its speakers to quickly switch between two worlds and put their brains to the test. In a similar manner, every language is a door to a new set of rules, concepts, and benefits. When reading Felipe de Ortego y Gasca’s “Regarding Spanglish” after having read Boroditsky’s “How Does Our Language Shape the Way We Think?”, a single idea kept echoing inside my head. Reading “How Does Our Language Shape the Way We Think?” before reading “Regarding Spanglish” suggests that Spanglish provides linguistic
From my experience, bilingual education was a disadvantage during my childhood. At the age of twelve, I was introduced into a bilingual classroom for the first time. The crowded classroom was a combination of seventh and eighth grade Spanish-speaking students, who ranged from the ages of twelve to fifteen. The idea of bilingual education was to help students who weren’t fluent in the English language. The main focus of bilingual education was to teach English and, at the same time, teach a very basic knowledge of the core curriculum subjects: Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. Unfortunately, bilingual education had academic, psychological, and social disadvantages for me.
Understanding more than one language has positive effects on the brain’s ability to think. In comparison to multilingual individuals, monolingual English speakers are at a considerable disadvantage when it comes to learning, cultural awareness, and effectiveness in global affairs.
Language is both a blessing and a curse. Without it, we couldn't share and receive information vital to our existence. Language not only develops in conjunction with society’s historical, economic and political evolution, but also reflects that society’s attitudes and thinking. It surrounds us, shapes our thoughts and is being shaped in turn. But are we its masters or its slaves? Whether we like it or not, we live our lives under the spell of language. Language is how we communicate and understand the world around us. The possession of language is powerful and unconscious in the human brain. We wield the power of speech with nothing more than mere nonchalance. Even thousands of years after we discovered language, we still unconsciously feel that if a thought is spoken or put in print, it somehow assumes greater significance (Sletto).
There are hundreds of languages in this world, but whether it shapes the way we think is rather debatable. Being able to speak multiple languages can give us opportunities and advantages in life. However, being restricted to one language can cause a barrier when speaking to those not fluent to the native language. The essay “Lost in Translation” by Lera Boroditsky, talks about how grammar can affect how we see the world (469). Similarly, Guy Deutscher an Israeli linguistic speaks about how language is the result of a matrix of cultural and social influence that help shape how we think about the world, in an excerpt called “Does Your Language Shape How You Think” (447).
America Cinemas opened the summer of August 2015. The location of the theater is brilliant, surrounded by Spanish speaking individuals. That look forward to the new movies coming to the box office on the weekends. The cinema fills with life every weekend when people, gladly bring their friends and family along to enjoy a movie in Spanish. With that being said there will be a language barrier. Americans will insist that all these "Mexicans" need to learn English, because we are in America. Unfortunately, some of these individuals do not have that luxury.
...xpressing her Chinese culture. Mastering a second language allows her to articulate her and her mother’s thoughts; it is a foundation for her pride and a foundation to express herself. For Gloria Anzaldua, instead of choosing one language over the other, she chose a mix of the two and fights for it. She realized the value of her language when she lost it and now treasures it. The kind of Spanish she speaks is neither English nor Spanish, but both. It is overflowing with culture from Medieval Spain, France, Germany, etc., just from the origins of the words. It is her pride and a representation of herself, fighting and living. In conclusion, in addition to Lera Boroditsky’s article proving that the structure of language affects how we think, the articles by Eric Liu, Amy Tan, and Gloria Anzaldua show how language is a foundation for a person’s culture, pride, and self.
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 the contemporary global economy which can be categorized as dynamic and evolutionary in nature, one needs to be cognizant of change that is inevitable within the tourism industry. Due to the demands of the global customer the world can be viewed as being more so inter-connected, owing to this fact the traditional workplace has become more diverse. With diversity in mind the barriers to communication have become prevalent. Within the ambit of the essay such barriers to intercultural communication outlined by LaRay M. Barna shall be explored; anxiety, assuming similarity instead of difference, ethnocentricity, stereotypes and prejudice, nonverbal misinterpretations, language and modern technology will be further discussed. In going forward it is essential to define culture and communication.
In order to visualize the “global” as an adjective in the collocation “global language”, a study has shown the numbers of people speaking the language. According to them, there are about 6000 languages in the world and not surprisingly English is at the top of the list of most dominant. In the world there are 375 million first-language speakers, approximately the same number of second-language speakers and about 750 million foreign-language speakers (David Graddol, The Future of English? A Guide to Forecasting the Popularity of the English Language in the 21st Century. British Council, 1997). According to magazine Economist, more than one billion people speak some form of English. These numbers could make people think that English is really conquering the world which can be both positive and negative.