There should be a point in time where we need to reflect on
the effectiveness of language and realize how it affects us in our day to day
lives. Language is a vital tool that we use in our everyday lives. It assists
us in our survival. Through language one can virtually convey their ideas in a
better manner. Babies use language to let their care provider know what they
need. For example, when they cry or yell, this is an indicator to their parent’s
or whoever is around that they need attention or that something is wrong. They
may not be using real words, but they are using communication. Also, language
is a very primitive concept. When people think of the time of Neanderthals or
cavemen, we tend to generally think of hairy hunter-gathers sitting next to a
fire in an eerie cave holding spears, while grunting and pointing in order to
interact with each other. Even though uttering complete sentences, was beyond
their mental capacity, they still had a method of communicating with each other
even if it was through the use of gestures and groaning. Deaf people or people
who can’t speak turn to the use of sign language, which is a system of visual
gestures that are used to communicate with other individuals.
On the other hand,
there have been numerous instances where failure of language has presented
itself. In Meditation at Lagunitas, Hass tries to allow the reader to see that language can sometimes fail to clearly represent ideas-- he believes that words sometimes paint a picture of something in it's perfect state rather than the actual thing. Another thing, after listening to the podcast about a man named
Ildefanso, who never acquired the meaning of language and who didn’t know it
existed for 27 years was trapped in a dark time in his life-- he wasn’t even
aware of sign language and survived by imitating others while observing them.
After learning how to use sign language he perceived the world differently and attached
a system of symbols to the words and objects he learned. For example, after
learning the word “window” and actually seeing the window, he was able to
associate a symbol with it in his mind and look at it differently. When Susan
Schaller attempts to ask him what life was like before he learned how to sign,
either he doesn’t want to talk about it or describes it as being a dismal time
in his life. Thus, without language, life would be arduous for us and it would
be more difficult to create relationships with people, convey ideas, tell
people how we feel, and get our messages across. In The Cosmpolitan Tongue: The University of Language by John
McWhorter, the linguistic author discusses the extinction and death of
languages over the course of time partly due the expansion of English and how
it has traveled to different people of different cultures. In paragraph 5, the
author writes, “This accounted for the melancholy tone, for example, of the obituaries
for the Eyak language of southern Alaska last year when it’s last speaker died.
Even though one language dies, eventually that group of people takes on a new language,
perhaps English. The issues surrounding the idea of language are important for
us to know and without knowing about them, we tend to take it for granted and
fail to realize how important language is in our everyday lives.
I agree with you; language does play a grand role in our day-to-day lives. Even though some of us may argue it doesn’t, it does. Take for example the section in the “Words” podcast when they spoke with Jill Bolte Taylor. How could she have told us what had happened, explaining every detail if it weren’t for language? I like the example you gave about the babies Kayla because those babies have guardians or providers as you said. We hopefully can call those individuals our mom or dad. Picture them, either your mom or dad. Imagine you never had any of those meaningful conversations you had with them before or maybe the arguments. Visualize you never would have been able to tell them “I love you”. Another reason why language is important is because it allows us to share our ideas and thoughts. It helps us to differentiate from each other. Everything would appear to be the same everywhere you go, it would all be identical. In The Cosmopolitan Tongue: The Universality of English, John McWhorter states that when all unique languages die we can all gather to speak the same language. But why would we want to shut these doors? We shouldn’t help to vanish the many dialects of different languages.
ReplyDeleteIf you think about it language has been around for decades and it has allowed communication to become very useful. I say this because communication is effective whether everyone knows it or not. For instance, when you had a test for a chemistry class and you passed it but your friend didn’t. You can tell by their body language and their facial expression. By reading their body language and facial expressions people can tell that you didn’t do well on the test. Therefore even though you and your peer didn’t physically talk, the way they reacted towards you gives an impression. Time and time again in our society, language has been a major influence to the way we interact with one another. Even though there are people with many disabilities, they still find a way to communicate with others.
ReplyDeleteI say this because in the novella with Ildefanso when he learned how to do sign language, when he finally got an understanding of everything it made everything a different sort of aspect. The reason I say this because later on in the recording where he had other friends that were in his position where they had no idea that the world had language and wasn’t able to interact with others he noticed how they were finishing each other’s thoughts when trying to bring back memories they experienced together. Not everyone can speak to communicate that’s why it’s effective because there are different forms of communication. It helps us out to create images and define these codes.
In the text of Meditation of Lagunitis, you can kind of get different meanings to what he described in the poem. Especially with the way he described about him loving a girl and the way her father disrespected her. Also, it created pathos because it he makes the audience get emotional. Its different kinds of languages used, but I believe our society does thrives on the use of language.
I agree with your idea that language is “… a vital tool… in our everyday lives…”, but I would like to point out the idea that not everything is or can be expressed with words. There are always things that people can’t or won’t talk about, at least not using spoken or sign language. For example, I am not a very good writer and I do not have a way with words like most people. When forced to speak in front of others in any way that isn’t a casual conversation, I tend to fumble with the correct words. However, I use music and other art forms as a way of expression as opposed to spoken words. So, in relation to your notion that “… without language… it would be… difficult to… convey ideas…”, I would have to disagree. Despite the usefulness and necessity of language for our lives, I do not think that language is necessary for life (in general) or necessary to express ideas. I think there are others ways of expression that may be easier for some to use or better overall. However, I completely agree with the idea that language is necessary for our society to continue functioning efficiently (a common theme among essential all of our readings thus far).
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with your standpoint with how language plays a huge role with us and our society. Honestly without language how do we really communicate with one another that gives a bigger picture of how we see the world how it is (besides sign language and messaging with one another). In Meditation at Lagunitas, Harris really does clarify what language really means to us that most people don’t tend to see. The broad cast by Jill Talyor of how she explained the Iddefanso demonstrates a perfect example of how he was mimicking her and thought that was sign language. Even when she offered to help him to learn the basics of sign language, he actually broke down when he realized that it was a “different world” he was experiencing because it gave me a new language that brought him some emotion. And that is what brings that to us about the language that it has an emotional connection of how we interact with one another. Take for example if some told you “I hate you” in a negative term or “I love you” in a positive term how would you feel if you never heard those words before does that mean we don’t have any emotion what so ever or how most people would say “Are we not even human at all?” Somehow we need language in our lives not only just to communicate, but have a sense of emotion connection with one another.
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