Language is an interaction with words, which we explore the many areas of speech and writing. The language that I verbalize fluently through writing, reading and understanding is English. The way I speak English may vary from school to work, from friends to family. Do know I still speak English differently, whether if it is broken down, professional or in a suitable form that my peers will comprehend more. I learned English at a young age through my parents, grandparents and community.
Language is complex; it is difficult to understand how language happens or more so how it is form. Language is like a sea, it just flows upward or the opposite. My proposition in terms of language is straightforward; language is the mother of communication. Language benefits everyone, even if their mentally ill. There are many forms of communication through language, for example sign language. According to “Does Your Language Shape How You Think?” an August 26, 2010 article by Guy Deutscher, ‘Language differ essentially in what they must convey and not in what they may convey’ (DYLSHYT 2). This quote is saying language is different because some direct answers for a question are necessary to express in some languages while in other language it is inappropriate. This article gives a very good example of my explanation, to paraphrase if someone explained how their spent yesterday evening with a neighbor, you may wonder if it is male or female. If you are speaking French or German, you obligated by grammar to put across the sex of your neighbor. However, in English you have the authority to tell that person to mind their business in a friendly way (DYLSHYT 2-3).
I most commend Deutscher he was able to show how different languages use the same words in different ways. For instance, the Spanish and French languages use masculinity and femininity to name inanimate objects. In addition, one object would be feminine in the Spanish language and masculine in the French. Deutscher shows how different language are but yet so similar because it use to converse. Deutscher forgot to explain to me how we measure the impact of language. For that fact since I believe language is the mother of communication why not show the impact it has made to society.
Clevelyn Murray
Hi, Clelevyn, You write, "Deutscher forgot to explain to me how we measure the impact of language. For that fact since I believe language is the mother of communication why not show the impact it has made to society." I don't think Deutscher's intention was to explain languages's impact on society. (That would be a whole different article!!) However, you raise a really good question and one that we can keep in mind the whole semester as we characterize the elements of language to get to the beginnings of an answer. (This might be something that you include in your reflection letter for the course portfolio.)
ReplyDeleteP.S. His article was not called, "You Are What You Eat" as you posted here! :-)
i really liked the simile that you used "Language is like a sea, it just flows upward or the opposite". this quote is interesting because just how a sea has no definite direction in the way it flows, language has isn't definite either. i also agree with you that language is "the mother of communication".
ReplyDelete