Nobody can
deny the unifying value of language. You know when you get along with someone,
you say “you speak the same language”? Communication flows much easier when two
people share a language in common. It is still possible when they don’t, but it
isn’t quite the same. The communication staggers and there is more of a
struggle to get your point across. When you pick up a foreign language, you are
also made aware of the cultural practices of the geographical location whose language
you are learning. It gives you an insight into the minds of the people who
speak that language and the functioning of their society.
deny the unifying value of language. You know when you get along with someone,
you say “you speak the same language”? Communication flows much easier when two
people share a language in common. It is still possible when they don’t, but it
isn’t quite the same. The communication staggers and there is more of a
struggle to get your point across. When you pick up a foreign language, you are
also made aware of the cultural practices of the geographical location whose language
you are learning. It gives you an insight into the minds of the people who
speak that language and the functioning of their society.
A
multilingual society is by nature a more inclusive and accommodating society.
If you meet a person who is a polyglot, you will notice that they are generally
warm and welcoming. It’s because they have been sensitized to the ways of
different cultures via their language learning. It can be surmised then that
language serves to unite us by making us more understanding of cultural
differences and similarities. Once we know what makes us like and unlike each
other, we are better able to respect the same and participate in communication.
multilingual society is by nature a more inclusive and accommodating society.
If you meet a person who is a polyglot, you will notice that they are generally
warm and welcoming. It’s because they have been sensitized to the ways of
different cultures via their language learning. It can be surmised then that
language serves to unite us by making us more understanding of cultural
differences and similarities. Once we know what makes us like and unlike each
other, we are better able to respect the same and participate in communication.