This was my paper for my French class that showed us that learning a language is very important. I thought that the podcast that I used along with surveying peers allowed me to appreciate language and their origins.
1. What’s special about language?
It’s a gift we take for granted and universal. It’s also what makes us human and distinguishes us from other creatures. We are all capable to speak different languages. There are many people that speak different languages as a child and develop different styles. Language is also in our genes hence why children pick up language easily. This comes naturally in relation to talking. Languages are split by dialects and created by older languages. It gives us the ability to communicate and express unlimited thoughts which gives meaningful speech. Each word and phrase is a form of human creativity and can be used in thousands of ways.
2. Is there a language crisis in America?
We lack language skills for jobs that are important for needs and world relations. US needs to cater to languages for citizens and people around the world. We need more schools that can teach more languages and cater to countries that are dominant in a certain industry. This is due to small amount of time learning language. It takes a lot of time to learn a language professionally because of the amount of terms and work that is needed. Study abroad programs have limited themselves for English speaking countries. 47 million people speak their native language in home part of the time. New immigrants don’t always speak English so they cannot learn English and the culture. We need to provide more extensive learning for English and speak a different language at home. We should have a national commitment for critical need for national security.
3. What was the first language?
Splitting and resplitting of languages started with the supernaturals. They began to show family trees that reconstructed dead languages as clues that originate 5000-7000 years but predicted 10000 years. Paleontologists, psychologists, neurologists, and anatomists contributed to what became the first language. Speech was not available until the human was fully formed. The larynx played a huge part about speech. It started with ancestors drawing pictures in the caves but still doesn’t tell us what the first language was. Pigeon was another language technique used in the third world and passed on to the next generation. Different parts of the world have similar grammar and vocabulary back then and share the same pattern of speech.
4. Why should Americans learn language?
Americans tend to only speak one language. Lack of language leads to many reprocautions and the threat of national security as well. We graduate schools learning only one language and this leads to only one third of people to study language. There are activities that promote the benefits and sense of languages as well as cultural tables to encourage state locals and teachers to rethink language; however, budget cuts don’t allow for language programs to people in need become accessible. We have to rid the fact that language is an extracurricular because it is very needed for professions that create better relations and negotiators. Language opportunities should start in elementary schools and continue all the way through college. We need to create leaders in language to change perception in learning language.
5. What does it mean to be bilingual?
People that speak more than one language are seen as a minority but one third of the world speak more than one language. Bilinguals were essential in 2001, but could not speak, read, or write. Parents speak both languages so the child can learn two languages at the same time. Capabilities of learning a new language changes perception. Bilingual children use the majority language to speak to certain people and cater to the people around them. Immigrant groups work at their heritage language in schools or Saturday schools. It doesn’t mean bilingual is for all life. But this has been controversial. Dual language is essential to maintain bilingualism because they can intertwine with work and the people in their communities and the globalized world. We have discouraged people from speaking a new language, but we should encourage it to have a cultural presence.
Summary
I am learning French this semester because I wanted to rebuild and strengthen the foundation of the French I learned when I was little. I love the culture and the language because it is very sophisticated and the words and phrases flow naturally. The culture is one of my main reasons why I want to speak French because my music consists of mostly French and I always wanted to travel to France and Switzerland. The elements that draw significance to the culture such as fashion, food, etiquette, and art are one of my tourist spots if I ever visit or study abroad. There is this sense of finesse when I hear the language intertwine with the music that captures my interest to the language and for me to become fluent in French is beneficial to my personality and my career path. The people that I interviewed come from a very diverse background that motivated them to speak a different language that brings them closer to their family origins, friends, and culture.
Two significant incentives to learning French would be diversity among the people in French speaking countries with developing connections and the ability to travel to go in depth with the culture itself. The people I interviewed have similar reasons with me about learning a new language which is to cater to our families and to know more about ourselves. I realized that maintaining to speak different languages keeps us close to the culture and hard to forget. Traveling to different countries to speak French is a motivation to learn the language and travel the world. It give us an opportunity to learn about the different countries and provinces and understand the people that live there. It opens our eyes to a new world and a new place that allows us to become diverse with the world. These two incentives motivated me to learn about French as a whole and I fully respect and appreciate the language and the culture.
This activity changed some of my perceptions because I am now motivated to continue to learn the language and the culture. The responses I received were open-minded to learning about a new language and a new culture and their reasons support their claim about becoming more diverse and connecting with their families. I learned that French contributed many aspects to the world and has become well known because of it. This activity also made me appreciate the people in my life because of their diversity and their ability to learn different languages. I can see the world through their eyes.
