Language is a powerful means of learning and interacting with the world. Reading, writing, and speaking are everyday activities that use language to share ideas, send messages, and receive feedback. Considering that every language is unique, it is possible to assume that words, phrases, and sentences shape cultures, which a social and psychological phenomena. One of the key impacts language makes on a person is the exploration of the world, leading to the ongoing communication and relationship building. For example, the way language is interpreted by different people shows their values and goals. Further communication can reveal stereotypes, such as “girls are cleverer than boys”, which creates biases and misunderstanding. However, by using proper language and stating that “a specific research showed that girls are likely to resolve mathematic tasks faster than boys, it is possible to avoid misinterpretation. Accordingly, language extends one’s beliefs about cultural differences, thus promoting diversity awareness.
While native language helps to preserve the cultural values and traditions a person belongs to, learning a foreign language stimulates the discovery of new cultures. By exploring the history, architecture, cuisine, religion, and many other aspects of cultures, people tend to be impacted by them. Learning a new language positively influences people’s thinking patterns and promotes self-reflection (Yang 75). Those who are engaged in language acquisition are likely to make mistakes, while learning from them is a huge developmental step. The ability to reflect on personal experience allows shaping and strengthening beliefs that inform one’s decisions and future aspirations. Thus, it can be claimed that people learning languages become included in the global community as they tend to think wider, continuously expanding their horizons.
Work Cited
Yang, Juan. “Understanding Chinese Language Teachers’ Beliefs about Themselves and Their Students in an English Context.” System, vol. 80, 2019, pp. 73-82.