Many faces of Language CLA1302 Group members: Dok Rae Kim (53706803) Kim, Hyeong Ryul (53788670) Kang, Min Sun (53930040) Wong Suet Yi (54033720) Question (19) Why do people fight over language? Paul B. Garette Introduction Language imparts an identity to its speaker. To those who speak the lingua franca (English), it is easy to take monolingualism for granted. However, to those who speak the minority language in a multilingual and multi-ethnic nation, language is an integral part of their identity. Inevitably, constant tension and struggle exist between speakers of different languages. Language conflicts arise when speakers of the dominant language oppress and marginalize speakers of another. When such a dichotomy exists, language …show more content…
For example, attending structured language classes and interacting with the locals enhance speaking and listening skills. The writer also describes his friend’s case, in which she went to Spain for language training and pledged to speak no English. Since her friend forbade herself from communicating in English, she could rapidly pick up Spanish at an advanced level. However, this is a double-edged-sword method as the person is isolated from the society where they come from and the language which they understand, and so they have to overcome communication problems alone. Depression and homesickness may be resulted due to prolonged isolation from their roots. On the other hand, it provides shortcuts to learn a second language faster and more accurately. It would be more effective if this learning technique is slightly altered. Linguistic isolation may not be necessary. The student can maintain relationships with people from the same language background. This minimizes the possibility of having depression and homesickness from being isolated. However, the student should spend the majority of his/ her time interacting with the locals in the target language. One disadvantage is that it takes longer for the student to learn the language than a student who tries linguistic
What they want to do is also retain their own language, culture, and identity” (164-167). Here, Espada highlights how language helps people absorb new cultures and offer a wider perception of our world, but that people also want to keep their sense of self-worth without losing
Although it is nearly impossible to get an entirely accurate count, there exist at least 6,500 languages (Leonard et. al., 59). Something tells me that if language were about something as simple as communication, that number would be smaller. In all actuality, people feel deeply connected to their native languages for another reason. Language and culture are one and the same, and Gloria Anzaldua illustrates this in her piece “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” using examples of changes and suppressions of her language, to represent changes and suppressions of her culture as a whole.
Although I don’t know much Spanish, I can communicate with them better to some extent. Also, learning a language can help you better understand the culture. In my case, learning Spanish helped me understand the hispanic culture better. Although I believe Spanish helped me, it was very difficult to learn.
Language is used to convey a message as well as connect people to a particular culture or ethnicity he or she identifies with. People who share the same language share a bond and pass their history through language. In chapter one of The Skin That We Speak: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom Joanne Kilgour Dowdy speak about growing up in Trinidad and her mother insisting on her speaking in the colonizer's language rather than her native Trinidadian language. Joanne Kilgour Dowdy felt as if her identity was being pushed to the side when she was forced to speak “Colonized English” when she was at school or around the social elite of her community, and felt ridiculed from her peers for speaking proper as if she was white or of the elite social class. Dowdy major concern was how to have the freedom to go back and forth from home, language to the public language without feeling judged from both sides of her
Espada implies that English is a language of power. English dialects from professionals “seek to obscure rather than clarify: their intent is not to communicate, but to control” (5-6). Both native and non-native speakers of English do not understand some obscure vocabulary. Moreover, because not everyone understands every complex word, a language barrier forms, putting non-native speakers at a disadvantage. For example, Espada illustrates with a poem “Offerings to an Ulcerated God” the unfair treatment to non-English speakers in court.
In the essay, "Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood", Richard Rodriguez explains his opinion on bilingual education based on his own childhood experience. He provides reasons why it would be retrogressive to permit the non-English speaking children use their family language as the language in school. In defending his positions, he provides three ideas to support his position: • The use of family language impedes child’s social growth. Insistence on using Spanish language at home made Rodriguez and his older sister and brother to be socially disadvantaged at school.
Out of Breath Becoming accustomed to a new language is difficult, especially when it is not one’s primary language. Amy Tan, the author of “Mother Tongue” went through this same situation. Tan’s mother had a hard time with the way she spoke English because no one seemed to understand what she wanted to convey. Amy Tan uses her story as a way to let the audience know about how language can lead people to be prejudice, connect people, change perception and open new doors in life.
My Rhetorical Analysis Language is a part one’s identity and culture, which allows one to communicate with those of the same group, although when spoken to someone of another group, it can cause a language barrier or miscommunication in many different ways. In Gloria Anzaldua’s article, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, which was taken from her book Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, she is trying to inform her readers that her language is what defines her. She began to mention how she was being criticized by both English and Spanish Speakers, although they both make up who she is as a person. Then, she gave convincing personal experiences about how it was to be a Chicana and their different types of languages. Moreover, despite the fact that her language was considered illegitimate, Anzaldua made it clear that she cannot get rid of it until the day she dies, or as she states (on page 26) “Wild tongues can’t be, they can only be cut out.”
In Jon Hooten's editorial "fighting Words: The War Over Language," he argues that we relate almost everything to war subconsciously. We are unwillingly more attracted to things associated with war because they bring excitement to the topic. It if for this reason why I agree with Hooten's argument. In the article, he writes:"Our popular culture thinks nothing of invoking the language of conflict to describe most any topic. "This is relatable to almost anything on social media.
The power of language We all have some form of language limitations, no matter where we come from and what our background is. “Mother tongue” by Amy Tan and “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua both share similar themes in their stories that demonstrate how they both deal with how different forms of the same language are portrayed in society. In both stories they speak about what society declares the right way of speech and having to face prejudgment, the two authors share their personal experiences of how they’ve dealt with it.
Having a second language in your background is so impactful on one’s life, providing them with more skills. This is the 21st century and having this skill helps an individual be
Our identity is a place upon many attributes of a human being. Whether the person is someone who goes on promoting themselves to the world or not, and it shows how people communicate to others around them. Language is one of the main components that unveils the person’s identity in their everyday life, and they are many different ways to approach a person’s language. Relating to the article of Yiyun Li, “To Speak is to Blunder,” she knows two languages that has its positive and negative outcomes in her life. I to relate to her understanding of language, but a different view of what language means to me.
Language does not necessarily define one's identity and identity does not define language, however it does affect it. Depending on how many languages people know, they are able to decide on what language they want to use in order to communicate with other communities according to their identities. One's identity defines and regulates the use of language and not the contrary.
Language is a direct indicator of power; those who are adept in controlling the language are able to exploit the ignorance of those under them and thus assert their dominance. As demonstrated throughout
Therefore, teachers must accommodate students who do not necessarily speak the same languages (Moodley, 2013:74 -75). To ensure that student’s education is not compromised, a target language needs to be implemented to ensure that the subject being taught is acknowledged by the learners. However the “language barrier” would also create an opportunity to code-switch, which will benefit learners to a great extent. It will not only eliminate the isolated feelings of students but accommodate their language and cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, a teacher will be able to teach their class to the extent where they will be motivated to learn.