Cultural-Language Cognition
Just as birds migrate out of a country, to a warmer place with food and living conditions, so do people change their place of birth for a different land that they soon call motherland. But is it so easy to switch from calling one place, one “mother,” to another? If we would define the word mother, something like: “a woman in a relation to a child to whom she has given birth” would come up (http://www.thefreedictionary.com). Same can be told about mother land relationships. Once a person is born in a country, they will become attached to it and influenced by that nation’s beliefs, music, foods, and language.
“Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet” says a United Nation Educational Organization article (UNESCO, 2013). How else can a person identify themselves as a strong, unique individual? What would happen if all the languages and cultures would blend into one? We wouldn't stand out from each other but be all of a same thinking. That is why the American society is so powerful and diverse in its content of people. Every individual has a different mindset and looks at the world with different eyes, coming out with diverse ideas, programs, laws that contribute this county in a positive way. Being unique is very important not only to self, but also for those around you. The saying, “If you want to change the world, you have to start with yourself” (Edberg, 2009), in my eyes means that one single person who chooses to be exceptional can inspire so many more to stay the same whether they switched native lands or not.
A great encouragement of words and behavior comes from a poetess Nayyirah Waheed who is originally from Africa but migrated to United States and now inspires hundreds and thousands of people to adapt to a new culture but never to forget their old one that made them who they are today: ”Even if you are a small forest surviving off of moon alone, your light is extraordinary” (Waheed, 2012). If I would be allowed to paraphrase this quote in different words reflecting cultural diversity, I would make the small forest to be the group of people, the moon the United States and the light, people’s own cultures and traditions and say: It is very important to have a strong foundation in the culture we came from. Nayyirah Waheed influences hundreds of African men and women, with their national songs, foods, traditions, so can each individual who broke the ocean in half, can lead their own people in the United States to be loyal and strong to their own culture (africaisdonesuffering.com).
Our traditions and beliefs are like a religion. If we let loose of faith, it will fall apart. I have spoken with so many immigrants that upon learning English, forgot their own language. Pullum's article proves that English language took over the world in such a way that many countries are slowly giving up their native speech. The social toxins of English domination influenced so many people to speak and act like Americans, that Europe is slowly transforming into U.S. “The global dominance of English is an inexorable fact about the state of the world: English is an official language in 50 or 60 countries around the globe, and in just about every country it is used to some extent, at least as a medium for basic trade, air-traffic control, or official communications to foreigners.”(Pullum, 2013). No matter what country is visited, it seems that if one can speak English, he will not be lost. Because English became dominant language in this world, many other languages are being forgotten. Many do not understand the importance and advantage of being bilingual. For example an article from “The Economist” states: “Many bilinguals are not bicultural. But some are. And of those bicultural bilinguals, we should be little surprised that they feel different in their two languages (Johnson, 2013). Often Americans laugh at the immigrant’s speaking when they make grammatical errors or speak with an accent, but in reality, a bilingual person is proven to be smarter than an unilingual. A New York Times article states: “in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age" (Matter, 2012). Since there are so many immigrants in America with diverse cultures, it is very easy to get caught up in a different way of life and forget your own. This problem impacts not only on language extinction but also on the individual’s unique background. Every individual should be proud of who they are and where they are coming from no matter how hard it is to keep the balance between an old and new culture.
Picture credit: http://socyberty.com/languages/the-top-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-language-and-international-business-an-analysis-of-the-importance-of-knowing-how-others-communicate-in-different-cultural-settings/
Just as birds migrate out of a country, to a warmer place with food and living conditions, so do people change their place of birth for a different land that they soon call motherland. But is it so easy to switch from calling one place, one “mother,” to another? If we would define the word mother, something like: “a woman in a relation to a child to whom she has given birth” would come up (http://www.thefreedictionary.com). Same can be told about mother land relationships. Once a person is born in a country, they will become attached to it and influenced by that nation’s beliefs, music, foods, and language.
“Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet” says a United Nation Educational Organization article (UNESCO, 2013). How else can a person identify themselves as a strong, unique individual? What would happen if all the languages and cultures would blend into one? We wouldn't stand out from each other but be all of a same thinking. That is why the American society is so powerful and diverse in its content of people. Every individual has a different mindset and looks at the world with different eyes, coming out with diverse ideas, programs, laws that contribute this county in a positive way. Being unique is very important not only to self, but also for those around you. The saying, “If you want to change the world, you have to start with yourself” (Edberg, 2009), in my eyes means that one single person who chooses to be exceptional can inspire so many more to stay the same whether they switched native lands or not.
A great encouragement of words and behavior comes from a poetess Nayyirah Waheed who is originally from Africa but migrated to United States and now inspires hundreds and thousands of people to adapt to a new culture but never to forget their old one that made them who they are today: ”Even if you are a small forest surviving off of moon alone, your light is extraordinary” (Waheed, 2012). If I would be allowed to paraphrase this quote in different words reflecting cultural diversity, I would make the small forest to be the group of people, the moon the United States and the light, people’s own cultures and traditions and say: It is very important to have a strong foundation in the culture we came from. Nayyirah Waheed influences hundreds of African men and women, with their national songs, foods, traditions, so can each individual who broke the ocean in half, can lead their own people in the United States to be loyal and strong to their own culture (africaisdonesuffering.com).
Our traditions and beliefs are like a religion. If we let loose of faith, it will fall apart. I have spoken with so many immigrants that upon learning English, forgot their own language. Pullum's article proves that English language took over the world in such a way that many countries are slowly giving up their native speech. The social toxins of English domination influenced so many people to speak and act like Americans, that Europe is slowly transforming into U.S. “The global dominance of English is an inexorable fact about the state of the world: English is an official language in 50 or 60 countries around the globe, and in just about every country it is used to some extent, at least as a medium for basic trade, air-traffic control, or official communications to foreigners.”(Pullum, 2013). No matter what country is visited, it seems that if one can speak English, he will not be lost. Because English became dominant language in this world, many other languages are being forgotten. Many do not understand the importance and advantage of being bilingual. For example an article from “The Economist” states: “Many bilinguals are not bicultural. But some are. And of those bicultural bilinguals, we should be little surprised that they feel different in their two languages (Johnson, 2013). Often Americans laugh at the immigrant’s speaking when they make grammatical errors or speak with an accent, but in reality, a bilingual person is proven to be smarter than an unilingual. A New York Times article states: “in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age" (Matter, 2012). Since there are so many immigrants in America with diverse cultures, it is very easy to get caught up in a different way of life and forget your own. This problem impacts not only on language extinction but also on the individual’s unique background. Every individual should be proud of who they are and where they are coming from no matter how hard it is to keep the balance between an old and new culture.
Picture credit: http://socyberty.com/languages/the-top-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-language-and-international-business-an-analysis-of-the-importance-of-knowing-how-others-communicate-in-different-cultural-settings/