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Essay on power of language
Essay on power of language
The power of words and language
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The Power of Language
If I say that I am currently employed with a major petroleum distribution center, you may think that I am a highly qualified person making limitless amounts of money. However, I am using the power of language to merely say that I work at a gas station making minimum wage. Great historical figures throughout history have used the power of language, the ability to use words to their advantage, to inspire people to unite under one common cause and to change the world.
Some of the most influential writers are those who appear in Language Awareness. Helen Keller was unable to hear and unable to see but came through her inabilities and inspired others to succeed. Malcolm X inspired African Americans throughout the US to see past their situation and rise above their diversities. Lastly, there is David Raymond, a dyslexic child who nonetheless became an affluent writer. Language has the power to change a single person, to the whole world.
Writing, what does it take? The ability to put sounds together, to make words, and to complete thoughts. It almost seems unfeasible to me that some one who cannot hear or cannot see would be able to write. For example, Helen Keller did not know the sound sounds that words made until one special lady gave her the power of language. That person, Annie Sullivan, showed her the power of language goes beyond words but also into actions. Sullivan was able to teach Keller how to write without sound, bu...
Zora Neale Hurston and Maya Angelou are arguably the most influential writers of the mid 20th century . Their work has inspired young African Americans to have more confidence in their own abilities. Their work has also been studied and taught countless times in many schools across the U.S. But the main reason why their work is considered classics in American literature; is because their work stands as testament to the treatment, and struggles of African Americans in the mid 20th century America.
Words have great power and when used correctly can influence what people believe and how they act.
Words hold great power and when used correctly can influence what people believe and how they act.
“The pen is mightier than the sword” (Bulwer-Lytton 1839). Hence, iconic political figures have used language to force individuals to think and act on important issues that encompass society. Activists like Malcolm X and Helen Keller exemplify this power and perspective of language in the realms of approach and progress.
Whether it’s what you write or what you read, it always brings forward emotions. Sherman Alexie felt desperate and determined to keep on reading after he learned to because he knew the importance of reading and he let those emotions drive him to continue. Amy Tan felt embarrassed by her mother 's literacy but later came to love it and think of it as their own private language. While Malcolm X 's life, mind, and emotions were altered by everything he read. Literacy will always have an influence on people 's
From the moment that we are born, we are exposed to means of language and communication. Though technically we can not speak as babies; we give our parents small signals to let them know what we need such as, being hungry or needing a diaper change. Language is proven to be essential and an important part of life. In the essays, Homemade Education, by Malcolm X and Spanish Lessons, by Christine Marin both essays give a strong example of why language is important. In Malcolm’s essay, he explains how when he was prison the power of language completely changed his life. In Marin’s essay she talks about her experience with the English and Spanish language and how both languages opened up new doors for her in her life and
Toni Morrison makes a good point when, in her acceptance speech upon receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature, she says, “Narrative . . . is . . . one of the principal ways in which we absorb knowledge” (7). The words we use and the way in which we use them is how we, as humans, communicate to each other our thoughts, feelings, and actions and therefore our knowledge of the world and its peoples. Knowledge is power. In this way, our language, too, is powerful.
Language has the power to influence and reshape our thoughts and actions. In Anthem, by Ayn Rand, there is a society which controls the language of everyone in it. Under the World Council, everyone is to follow the many rules put in place and no one even tries to break them. There is no “I” in their language, there is only “we”. With the power to influence and reshape people, language has a big impact on our thoughts and actions.
Joseph Addison once said, “Words, when well chosen, have so great a force in them that a description often gives us more lively ideas than the sight of things themselves (416).” I like this quote because it shows the importance of words and how powerful and influential they can be. Illustrations are used the same way, they hold the attention of readers, communicate content of information, and give insight of a particular event. There are eight types of illustrations: compare/contrast, personal experiences, processes, facts, quotations, case studies, examples, and statistics. My main focus, however, will be examples, facts, and quotes.
There have been hundreds of writers that have left their mark the American literature. Many writers use their ideas and beliefs when they write their stories. These stories are then in society forever and they influence future writers. Writers are influenced by the stories they read or grow up reading. Every writer touches American literature in their own unique way. Henry David Thoreau influenced American literature the most because he inspired future writers to have and use a connection to nature in their writing, he changed writings to focus on using the imagination, and he influenced writers to be individuals by not sticking to conformity as people or in their works.
Culture is a part of everyone's life, whether we choose to express it in our everyday lives or to just be aware of its presence. A major part of one's culture is a defining language. The topic of assimilation versus multiculturalism directly relates to culture in America, and even more specifically to the power of language in American culture. Since language is the basis of communication I think that all immigrants must assimilate to a certain degree by speaking English, while preserving their heritage if they choose to do so.
Having the knowledge to read and write may take someone into a completely different universe, it allows to see reality or escape from reality. It gives a better understanding of what goes on in the world, that being good or bad depending on how he wants to see it. Malcolm X wrote a short story " A Homemade Education," about how, his experience in prison allowed him to gain knowledge and to grow as an individual. Learning to read and write showed him, how to be mentally alive in a way that changed his life forever. He took it as an ability to grow, to make a change for himself and possibly make a difference in the world. Malcolm X explained how it 's never too late to get an education, there is always time for one to change in life. It is
Language is a very powerful tool. It is a means of basic communication, and has been around for centuries. Just like any other tool, language can be powerful in a positive or negative way, and can either work to one's advantage or can result in negative effects. Certain words can touch a certain chord inside someone, so they can be easily influenced by the language. A good example of this is George Orwell's Animal Farm, a fable in which a multitude of gullible animals are exploited by a group of power mongering pigs. Words can appeal to a persons basic needs and desires and conjure up hope or even fear in his or her mind. These emotions can be manipulated by others to their own advantage, and clever use of language can be used to cheat, deceive, spread rumors. In Animal Farm, Orwell shows how the pig's use of influential language manipulates and enslaves the animals.
Words have been the only constant throughout history; the one thing that has tied men and women from different time periods and different cultures. The greatest and most inspiring people have all used words to plant the seeds of something new; on the other hand, it is not a well-kept secret. Dictators and undeserving leaders know the power of words. Markus Zusak tried to share to the world how powerful one word could be. One word could spark friendship while many words could transcend into hatred. While words can impact different messages to different people, each one is inevitably connected to the next. A word that has power receives its power from the influence it collects from the people who choose to listen; the words can either hurt or heal the audience and the outcome is reflected in the influence.
Language is the basis of human communication. It is a cultural and social interaction, and the way language is used is influenced by the circumstances in which it takes place (Emmitt, 2010, p. 49; Green, 2006, p. 2). Children become aware that there are different types of language, including languages used at home, at childcare and at school, as they observe and participate in various language situations (Fellowes & Oakley, 2014, p. 39). Some of these languages may be unfamiliar, and children will need to learn the different roles and uses of language. The different roles of language in a child’s life are, therefore, part of their growing understanding of how to behave in society and in a particular context. As they experience different types and uses of language, children develop an understanding of how to use language appropriately for any given situation.