One of the more intriguing headlines from this past week was of a Duke Professor who came under fire for an email targeting Chinese-speaking students on campus. In an email sent to students, Director of Graduate Studies, Megan Neely, called for Chinese students to stop speaking Chinese in campus buildings. Furthermore, Neely’s email implied that those caught speaking Chinese “could” be negatively affected in the future when applying for internships and other positions.
When I read this headline this past week I was discouraged but not surprised to find that individuals, even those at academic institutions, struggle to see how language is a fundamental part of growth and progress. I have spent the better part of my undergraduate career studying the intersectionality of culture and language. I have come to understand how language is an important mechanism of personal growth for those who speak different languages. Equally important, the diversity of languages in communities contributes to societal progress and the growth of those who are part of those communities but don’t speak these different languages.
Simplified, the speaking of different languages contributes to cultural expression and preservation. Additionally, this diversity supplies abstract analysis and problem-solving in academia and other research-oriented disciplines such as the sciences and engineering. Removing the academic jargon of the endless publications I have had the opportunity to read on language and culture, here is why we need diverse language:
1.) Cultural Expression and Preservation
For most cultures, language is an essential aspect of which traditions and values hinge upon. Language often carries words and inherent connotations that are specific to that culture and, oftentimes, cannot be translated. To speak a language is to express membership to a culture and the traditions and history it represents.
Language is a celebration of culture and is a key part of its its preservation. If we eliminate the expression of language, we also negligently eliminate other aspects of that culture. Restricting the use of language deteriorates a person’s membership in a group and ultimately forces an assimilation into another culture. The coercive attempt to inhibit a group from speaking different languages is xenophobic, ignorant, and for the argument in example two, unintelligent.
2.) Abstract Analysis and Problem-Solving
Linguistics, sociologists, anthropologists, and academics in various disciplines have done wonderful work to show how cultural diversity and consequently, different languages, contribute to progress.
Language is a part of the frames from which we build our perceptions of the world. Our interpretations of events are not only affected by the semantics of language but also, and arguably more importantly, the pragmatic nature of that language. The cultural context within languages leads different people to different interpretations of events and information. Simple things such as slang contribute to this along with more abstract mechanisms such as grammatical structuring. For example, research has shown that prenominal and postnominal adjective placement affects the way a person interprets sentences and their meanings. This leads to a difference in description and feeling between a statement in English and a statement in a romantic language such as Spanish or Italian.
Language leads different people to different interpretations; in analysis and problem-solving, such as social and scientific research, these different perspectives serve as drivers of innovation and progress. Different angles dissolve the hindrances of groupthink and other creativity killers. Art, social science, natural science, and things as simple as group conversations over coffee have much to gain from a collection of different languages and cultures.
3.) Legality
There may be some, that regardless of its cultural and practical application, still believe that people should speak the national language of the place they are in. However, this argument fails, for the United States has no official language mandated in the US Constitution. Over the years, various bills to establish English as the official language have been presented before Congress; all of the said bills have failed. Additionally, various other entities have enacted protections, such as labor laws, for non-English speakers.
Diverse communities and the ability to express the cultures and experiences of them through language are important for both personal growth and societal progress. It is disappointing to continue to see that today, even in our academic institutions, individuals create environments that hinder growth and opportunities out of ignorance, xenophobia, and racism.
To those who have the privilege of coming from different cultures and knowing different languages, recognize that language is an expression of culture and a valuable asset. Don’t let others or personal trepidations discourage you from using language to celebrate culture and allow you to grow.
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