I believe language can be classified as one of the keystones of
culture in the world today. All cultures have a certain spoken language which
they can attest to being called their own. For several, language is not just
the manifestation of culture but also a part of culture.
It is very common to see migrants from various parts of the world
come to the US and bring their first language along with them. Growing up, I
had the privilege of learning not only English but also the South-Indian
language of Malayalam. Although I’m not as fluent as I was, Malayalam is what I
use to communicate to my older family members back home. In a way, I feel as
though it is a preservation of our Indian heritage.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to
his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart”.
The world has become a ‘melting pot’ of cultures and linguistic distinctions
are what seem to differentiate various cultures. According to the Economist,
the nation of Papua New Guinea, is linguistically diverse in 830 spoken
languages! Isn’t that crazy?! It’s amazing how diverse spoken language can be
considering words can only be formed using something as small as a tongue.
It is interesting to see how even the chosen pitch of a given countries language reveals so much about the national personality. Even neighboring countries like France and Germany have easily recognizable differences in the sounds of their language and in turn France is considered more refined while Germany possibly a bit more gruff and rowdy.
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