“A language is the ability to acquire and use complex systems of communication” That is the definition a quick google search will be able to provide us with. It sounds fairly simple, but how easy is it really to communicate with other people? Especially when neither one of you speaks nor share a common language? In the following essay I am going to reflect upon the role that the English language plays in our society today, and what the consequences of not mastering English might be. In the movie “The Terminal” produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, we meet the traveler Viktor Navorski (played by Tom Hanks). Krakozhia is a fictional country created for the film. Viktor arrives at J.F.K International Airport, only to find that his passport …show more content…
Germanic-speaking people like the Saxons, Angles and Frisians all came to the British Isles to claim territory, and therefore also influenced the language situation. As the Germanic tribes invaded and settled in Southern Britain, English began to evolve into the lingua franca it is today. The very first Viking raids took place in England in the late 8th century, more specifically at Lindisfarne in 793. Some of the Vikings came from Norway and Sweden, but the majorities who arrived and settled in Britain were in fact Danish. Even though the Danish rule didn’t last too long, this period left a lasting impact on the language. One of the biggest sources of loanwords to what we refer to as Old English, were words introduced by the Scandinavian Viking invasions. It has been said that the Vikings brought roughly 2000 words into the English …show more content…
Most of the articles online revolving science or health is written in English. To put it frankly, understanding English gives you nearly unlimited access to all kinds of knowledge. Being able to use English in researches, by example, gives you a huge advantage. English plays an important role in taking part of different cultures of the world as well. As seen in “The Terminal”, many incidents occurred as a result of the main character Viktor not being able to communicate or make himself understood in English. The Director of the airport had a habit of looking down at Viktor for not having the essential knowledge of the native language of the US. Even though many cultures will think highly of anyone attempting to speak their native language, it seems as if that is not always the case in native English speaking countries. Perhaps they are so used to being able to communicate with everyone by now, that they are taken by surprise whenever they come across a person who in fact can’t speak a single word of
Imagine being punished for saying one word or phrase in your first language that just comes natural to you. This is another example that makes the audience question their own beliefs on the “English only”
Very few, if any, immigrants have the chance to learn English before traveling to the U.S. Because of this barrier, it is nearly impossible for organizations such as the Border Patrol to warn, aid, and communicate with them as they travel to the U.S. Although there are helpful signs along the border, they are written in English and are therefore indecipherable. Furthermore, the language border hinders an immigrant’s ability to survive in American society once they arrive. English is the written and spoken language in almost every city, thwarting immigrants’ opportunity to find jobs and interact with others. As they struggle to communicate, they become ostracized and do not fit in.
The Anglo-Saxons, descendants of three Germanic tribes, the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, inhabited Great Britain in the 5th century. The Anglo-Saxon period ran from the 5th century to the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, where they ruled over lands that are today part of England and Wales. During this period, those apart of Anglo-Saxon tribes spoke different dialects, which later became known as Old English. Because of various dialects, literature had developed, which was where the epic poem, Beowulf, came to be. During their time, the Anglo-Saxons valued many things, including poetry but most importantly there tie to their religion and loyalty to one another.
Poe is often known for his dark, sometimes twisted short stories and poems. “The Masque of the Red Death” is no exception. In this short story, Poe creates and eerie and ominous mood by using a wide variety of literary techniques including imagery, diction, and syntax. Poe’s use of imagery contributes to the dark and mysterious mood of the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death.” In the first paragraph, a sense of darkness is conveyed in the sentence, “There was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle within the suite of chambers.”
As an immigrant, it is possible to live in two different worlds which are miles apart. The immigrant passes through identity development phases where they are faced with communication and integration problems. As a result, it is possible to be viewed as less intelligent or ignorant which is not the case because all they have is a communication barrier. Language is an avenue of self expression that brings out what is in the heart but without one the immigrant becomes voiceless. On a personal case, this disintegrates all the optimism that I had when coming to the US making the task of completing my education insurmountable.
In Mexico, my home country, I was able to successfully communicate with others and complete assignments just by the utilizing the Spanish language, but that was not the case on this side of the border. I had to learn a whole new language that seemed to be far different from my natal
But even when they didn’t learn English themselves, their children grew up speaking it. Thousands of first-generation Americans still strive to learn English, but others face reduced educational and career opportunities because they have not mastered this basic skill they need to get ahead. According to the 1990 census, 40 percent of the Hispanics born in the United States do not graduate from high school, and the Department of Education says that a lack of proficiency in English is an important factor in the drop-out rate. People and agencies that favor providing services only in foreign languages want to help people who do not speak English, but they may be doing these people a disservice by condemning them to a linguistic ghetto from which they cannot easily escape.
In Amy Tan‘s essay “Mother Tongue” (1999), she describes her life with her mother in America and how the broken speech of her mother has had an influence on her life. Amy Tan talks about the different “Englishes" she speaks to communicate with different people. Also, she tells us about her love for English and how she becomes a famous writer in America. In her essay she tries to shows us that language, culture, and education shapes us into who we are and the more you study English the more you learn and English will change your life a lot.
The beginning of the Middle English period and the end of Old English begins in 1066 with the Norman Conquest of England. The Normans were descendants of the Vikings who established themselves in Northern France in the 8th Century, they were known has the
Language is a system of communication consisting of sounds, words and grammar, or the system of communication used by the people of a particular country or profession. Even animals communicate. Birds use sound and movement to transfer information. Likewise human beings use sound and movement like speech and gesture to communicate. Language is the fundamental factor leading and affecting communication.
I think it is a worldwide phenonemon for people to think that tourists or citizens in a country lacking language skills automatically means less intelligence, and that is a completely incorrect
The vocabulary of Old English is completely different from the vocabulary of Modern English. Its all vocabulary was completely Germanic. It had some word of Celtic origin too. The research on this language has proved that 85 percent of that vocabulary has been extinct now.
Language is an important part of our life. Language and communication cannot separate. People use the language as a means of communication to express their ideas and feelings. They communicate either with each other using language in every social interaction; communicate with others directly or indirectly in the spoken and written form. Therefore, language is an important thing of communication in social life.
Language is an abstract concept which needed by people to communicate. Language has an intrinsic meaning which represents an image and it is also symbolic however not only symbolic. Language is also a complex system and it is creative and productive meaning that you can product many words. Language does not only include objects but also includes all the images and concepts of the world. There is an abstraction of a real world.
Standardization of the English Language English was not the original indigenous language of Britain. The first arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain, the inhabitants of the country spoke Celtic languages. Yet English shows few dialects brought by the Germanic invaders. Nor was the subsequent growth of English within Britain a smooth or inevitable trajectory. After the Norman invasion, English was not the first language of the ruling classes.