Language in American Culture
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- Date Submitted: 11/17/2010 09:38 PM
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Carrie Ackerman
[ 17 November 2010 ]
The Affects of Language in American Culture
Culture is a part of everyone’s life, whether we choose to express it in our everyday lives or to just be aware of its presence. A major part of one’s culture is a defining language. The topic of assimilation versus multiculturalism directly relates to culture in America, and even more specifically to the power of language in American culture. Since language is the basis of communication, I think that all immigrants must assimilate to a certain degree by speaking English, while preserving their heritage if they choose to do so.
Language is a very powerful thing. It is the way that people communicate with each other. For a foreigner living in America I think that this is essential. This is why I believe that if a foreigner only attempts to learn English, then they are already assimilating to American culture. Whether or not they choose to change their whole lifestyle into an American way of life, if they take on the English language then they are assimilating to a certain extent.
Amy Tan is the author of the essay Mother Tongue. In this essay, she explains how the power of language has influenced her life through her mother and the experiences they have had together concerning her mother’s English speaking ability, or lack thereof. She was born into a Chinese family where both Chinese and English were spoken. She is sensitive to and accepting of people’s lingual differences. She talks about how the inability to speak English well in America gives others the wrong impression: “everything is limited, including people’s perceptions of the limited English speaker” (Tan 13). She is saying here that prolific English speakers place limitations on people who have limited English-speaking abilities. Limitations such as being stupid, inferior, foreign, or an outsider can be placed on them. It also includes not being taken seriously and the assumption that they would not know any better...
[ 17 November 2010 ]
The Affects of Language in American Culture
Culture is a part of everyone’s life, whether we choose to express it in our everyday lives or to just be aware of its presence. A major part of one’s culture is a defining language. The topic of assimilation versus multiculturalism directly relates to culture in America, and even more specifically to the power of language in American culture. Since language is the basis of communication, I think that all immigrants must assimilate to a certain degree by speaking English, while preserving their heritage if they choose to do so.
Language is a very powerful thing. It is the way that people communicate with each other. For a foreigner living in America I think that this is essential. This is why I believe that if a foreigner only attempts to learn English, then they are already assimilating to American culture. Whether or not they choose to change their whole lifestyle into an American way of life, if they take on the English language then they are assimilating to a certain extent.
Amy Tan is the author of the essay Mother Tongue. In this essay, she explains how the power of language has influenced her life through her mother and the experiences they have had together concerning her mother’s English speaking ability, or lack thereof. She was born into a Chinese family where both Chinese and English were spoken. She is sensitive to and accepting of people’s lingual differences. She talks about how the inability to speak English well in America gives others the wrong impression: “everything is limited, including people’s perceptions of the limited English speaker” (Tan 13). She is saying here that prolific English speakers place limitations on people who have limited English-speaking abilities. Limitations such as being stupid, inferior, foreign, or an outsider can be placed on them. It also includes not being taken seriously and the assumption that they would not know any better...