November 25, 2019
Language impacts everything we do. How we convey our feelings to others, how we think, how we see- how we do anything. If you don’t speak the same language as someone, it’s very difficult to get what you want to say across the barrier because it’s so frustrating and I would say maddening. When you finally break through the language barrier, it feels relieving and a true miracle. Throughout my life, language has been very important, like it is now. Language is what connects me to my family and friends. I can form a sense of community and belonging through the use of the English language within my family. If I were unable to understand what they were saying because I was deaf or spoke another language, I don’t think I would enjoy being with them because my thoughts would be unheard and misunderstood. Something that happens frequently to me, within my family, is that my words are interpreted in the wrong way, especially with my sister and my mom. Because we speak the same language but have a generational difference in the meanings of some words, my mom ends up thinking I said something completely different from what I actually said- sometimes what she interprets is way more offensive than I would ever say.
Another thing about language is that it comes in many different forms. Throughout my life, I’ve played many different instruments. Because of my musical capabilities and understanding, I can speak to people who don’t know a single word of English. These people who speak things other than English can understand how I’m feeling through the use of the musical language. In my future, I see language causing some issues. Because I want to travel and I only really know two languages, I may run into some problems when trying to ask where to go or if I need help- something like that.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Claire. I agree that it can be difficult to communicate with language, sometimes. No matter how carefully we might choose our words, the receiver might hear something else.