As of today, I speak two languages fluently
(French and English), one poorly but enough to understand and be understood
(Spanish) and I try to learn a new one (Arabic). French is my native language.
I’ve learnt English and Spanish at school (I have a BA in English) and my
husband teaches me some Arabic. Though I am no expert, I’d like to share some
of my experience with language.
And as I don’t have as much time for blogging
as I’d like, I’ve decided to post my thoughts on language in four parts.
Language sets the way you see the world
English is centered on the action and its
consequences, whereas French focuses on the subject that does the action. Therefore,
the way you see and describe a situation will vary accordingly. Spanish has two
words for “there”, one being closer from the subject than the other. French has
a very rich cooking vocabulary, borrowed by English speakers.
All these examples and many more, show that the
world we see is influenced by our language. Language is what stands between the
intangible idea in our brains and the outside world. Depending on the words and
rules in your language, the idea you’ll convey will appear differently.
Obviously, it also applies from one person to another in the same language
(think of the telephone game) but is amplified when different cultures and
idioms are involved.
So next time you speak with someone whose first
language is different than yours and feel frustrated, keep in mind that the
feeling is most probably mutual and due to incomprehension.
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