Language shapes who we are and allows us to communicate with many different types of people all over the world. Growing up in a household where English and Spanish were spoken made it easier for me to relate to not only my classmates in school but Spanish speaking people that I would encounter. Language for the most part is something that everyone in the world shares. We all have a language whether we understand them or not. As explained in the article entitled “Does Your Language Shape How You Think?” by Guy Deutscher, people use their language in different ways. I believe I use the languages I speak in different ways depending on who I speak with which allows me to connect with the specific person in a way that I feel is appropriate.
Language in many ways seems like a mystery to me but it is understandable how we have a sort of instinct to use language to express how we feel. In my perspective we become accustomed as an infant to our surroundings which makes us familiar with the language spoken by the people around us. This familiarity makes it a necessity for us to learn the language in order to communicate. After reading the article by Guy Deutscher I couldn’t help but connect the surroundings where people live with how it shapes their language and the way they describe things. For example Deutscher mentioned that we use geographic directions when speaking about larger spaces of land and egocentric coordinates when speaking about smaller spaces so for the most part it can be concluded that since we don’t live in such a vast place compared to others we find it normal to use egocentric coordinates to describe locations. Though we all have different ways to describe things we still have the fact that we have a language in which bonds us all together and is something that we all have in common.
Sasha--This was so beautifully written! You really synthesized what you got from Deutscher with your own experience of language. I liked when you wrote, "I believe I use the languages I speak in different ways depending on who I speak with which allows me to connect with the specific person in a way that I feel is appropriate." It shows you use your language with power--you are in the driver's seat so to speak. Language allows us to shape what we feel and those of us who are practices and/or gifted with it--as you are--can have fun expressing ourselves in a langauge we know how to shape to our purposes.
ReplyDeleteGood job!
Sasha, I also agree with the sentence Professor Jerskey quoted from your reflexion. You could not have found a better way to write it!!!!!! since you grew up speaking both languages i bet you feel so happy that you get to enjoy both languages and how beautiful they are in their own separate ways.
ReplyDeleteSasha, I completely agree with you I think language is beautiful Art you can use it in many way to express your thoughts and feelings in many different ways.
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