I don’t have much beliefs about language, although there is a lot that I don’t believe. I don’t believe language is the best way we communicate, we communicate in a few ways language is least important in that factor. I don’t believe language is a way to bring people together i think language sets people apart. When you’re trying your best to share your ideas and feelings and you get a response of “I don’t really speak your language”. that moment of discouragement because your words were dragging your ideas down . Even now writing this I feel a small burning in my chest as if I know exactly what I want to say, It’s in my head, I feel it but nobody really understands my language. I believe language can tear humans away from each other, many of us won’t even try to communicate or reach out to someone who speaks a different language. Language bears judgement, I’ll be the first to admit I judged peoples intelligence on their language, I didn’t notice that me spoon feeding words into the the Spanish speaking school janitors mouth was to me, trying to understand her. Yet I was treating her as if she was a toddler, when in reality this woman’s knowledge surpasses mine and just lacked translation. I never know this until I seen my great grandma being spoon fed the same way and each word increased a rage in her so powerful, yet she would still be seen as less to have given them a piece of her mind in Spanish. I thanked my school janitor after that day for being so patient with my ignorance, i thanked her not with words but with treating her with the same respect I would treat my grandmother. I believe language scares people, I mean imagine being in the room where the only person who understands you is you. You can feel the judgment radiating off your peers and you want to tell them to stop, you want to tell them you’re normal, because although they can’t tell you how they think their blank stares, hand movements and slow speaking says it all. You’d feel the rush of embarrassment and shame flow through your body at once making your cheeks feverish and before you know it your tears are doing the talking for you, in a language everyone can understand. Language is dangerous, Not being able to have people understand you, it can be as dangerous as getting kicked off your flight for speaking Arabic in a plane full of Americans who look at you and with their whispers and staring you know the language of fear.
ENG 1101 — LC53 — YASSS…..A Course as Bold as You!, Spring 2019
A City Tech OpenLab Course Site
Language to me is the only thing that allow me to express myself, to takeout what’s inside me. Do I really have to speak it to express myself? I also can write it. It’s allow me to express what’s in my soul, my ideas that might spread the world with it. My way to identify me as person , I believe that any language has her own beauty, as we see poetries is the way to poets to say what they feel or see, we see others expressing their ideas by creating stories, same as others who has there own way to express themselves. Language is the only thing that made countries and communities learn about each other, although it pushed many people to learn languages other than their owns, because they want to more deeper on communities, and the only thing that’s going to help them is language which is showing how it’s the main thing that everyone should have to live and learn on this life. Me as an example, I came to this country only known how to speak Arabic, I was upset because I couldn’t communicate with people who don’t speak my language not even to express any simple thing that I needed which convinced me to learn their language because it’s the only thing will allow me to communicate with this society.
Language to me is like theft, basically you are stealing someone’s idea. Doesn’t mean it’s rights but, it just means that you are human. Everyone needs some type of language to communicate, in order for another person to understand. What easier way then to steal an original language and make it to your own understanding. Spanish, English and French are the most common languages that everyone uses, but if people elaborate on it then they will create more language to communicate. Language to me, means that it is my heritage, because it was spoken throughout my whole life. I grew up with that language and it was taught to me, in order to fit in the small community My whole family spoke “Biblianos” it means that I spoke Spanish slang with an accent and we spoke very fast, so no one from the outside will understand what we said. This trigger my mind to talk and respond very quick. It did Influence me as an individual because it made me different from the world, because only a handful of people spoke my language. I did feel honored but I felt more relief because I can express my thoughts in that language towards the community that I lived in. I also feel like I have a lot of pride when it comes to language because it makes me feel unique. When it comes to language, I believe that that you should be comfortable when you speak a language, and you need to be respectful. It has helped me be patient and amazed of the world we live today. During work a lady asked me for help, but she spoke a different language. She was frustrated that I didn’t understand her, she started to get red and I felt like she was about to cry. I had advice her to give me a second and pulled out my phone and translated for her. In my personal experience I felt like she was an outsider but I had to do my very my best in order for that lady to be welcomed. It took me patience, but at the end of the day we should appreciate what language actually means. It means to bring people closer together and communicate as a community and not give up just because you don’t understand their language.
“This I believe”, language is as empowering and wonderful while still being something that can be your downfall. I say this in personal confidence. Speech and language come hand in hand into your life as you grow. My first language is English, my second is still English, but that “broken-improper” english, and my third is Spanish. Me personally, I see language everywhere. Different faces can be shocking when you hear the native tongue. Skin color can be pale, yet the language is that of a born and raised southern. Skin color can be dark, but the language is French. Language is empowering, because the more you know, the more interesting you look, and the more people want to go back to you with questions. Language is power; this is proven factual by money standards. I’ve been told, that the more languages you speak, the more job opportunities come your way. Language is empowering because to most people, you are more interesting if your native tongue, isn’t your only one. Language can be your downfall, because most prominent and importantly is this: if you cannot be understood, you will not be heard. This is also something I experienced. In high school, I took French, and my French teacher was Haitian, and I could barely understand his language underneath his accent. No matter where you go, or with whom, or whatever, the language there is different. Each language has its own terminology based on the place. New York State is broad, yet the terms of language is extreme in it’s differences, and similarities. Puerto Ricans and Dominicans both speak Spanish. However I, as a Brooklyn, Flatbush, Puerto Rican, can say that I do not know the slang and terms of a Dominican, Bronx female. We speak the same language, but we say it differently, and in different ways. The vast majority of New Yorkers know this, if your parents’ first language isn’t that of an “American”. Language is shared around the world. I’ve seen an Asian lady speak better Spanish better than me! I like language, but it can be tricky, just as easily as it can be useful. I’ve been raised to be proud of all the languages I know, and to respect other languages too. I may not completely understand you, (unless you’re cursing me out), but I can appreciate the fact that at that moment, I want to understand something I may not have cared about before.