Introduction
Today, language progress is one of the most fascinating achievements of the human race, but for some reason, not many people understand the worth of the gift they have. Compared to previous centuries, when people faced challenges in developing international relationships because of the inability to comprehend each other, current affairs are easier to arrange. In many countries where citizens do not speak English, attention is paid to studying this foreign language as a means to join the world, use the Internet on common grounds, and discover other benefits of bilingualism.
In his TED talk, McWhorter gives four reasons to learn a new language, namely going into a new culture, predicting mental health complications, having fun, and accessing various educational options. During class discussions, morphology and syntax were mentioned as the two studies for clarifying word shapes and organization, depending on cultures, linguistic standards, and personal preferences. Language can be interpreted as a gift that people are able to develop, focusing on their abilities and cultural interests, and its appropriate use is a good way to measure linguistic success in the modern world.
The Relationship Between Language and Culture
If people need more reasons to realize why language diversity is something to be aware of, they should look around and notice the differences in which they live. According to McWhorter, “a language channels your thoughts, that the vocabulary and the grammar of different languages give everybody a different kind of acid trip” (01:48-01:55). As a result, people get an opportunity to investigate a variety of worlds and cultures, addressing their languages. However, some “fraught” characteristics cannot be ignored because someone might believe this idea is unrealistic or too complicated (McWhorter).
Structural Ambiguity
In his discussion, McWhorter addresses the specifics of French and Spanish languages compared to English and discovers that worldview alterations shape human thoughts in the most unpredictable ways (the examples of Bono, Trump, and Kardashian). Structural ambiguity exists in morphology and syntaxis to demonstrate a variety of connections between letters, sounds, and phrases (Anderson et al. 245). In other words, the relationships between language and culture are evident. Still, they are complex, and some people need more time, knowledge, and experience to succeed in analyzing the required concepts.
Word Order
Another important aspect of language-culture discussion can be related to the word order people use in their communication. According to Anderson et al., word order denotes the grammatical functions of subjects and objects in sentences (263). However, in the cultural context examined by McWhorter, it is normal for languages to have different word orders, which usually confuses and excites them. When people get used to one particular grammatical and syntactic basics, it is hard for them to apply new rules without being exposed as foreigners. McWhorter explains that people might feel uncomfortable and “become husks of themselves, they’re shadows of themselves” (05:24-05:25).
Variety of Pronunciations
It is possible to observe different pronunciations of the same words among different speakers because of the intention to demonstrate their subtlety. However, now the question is not why it is necessary to study different languages but how to do it so as not to provoke negative changes in personalities. People may want to study different languages to learn more about foreign cultures and develop strong international relationships. They need to find the condition under which this educational process is associated with benefits, not sacrifices or losses.
Oral Speech and Education
Finally, people can read many sources to strengthen their theoretical background, but despite the success of their education, their practical outcomes become the only true examples of how morphology and syntax are related to culture. In the chosen speech, these linguistic concepts are properly applied to demonstrate the speaker’s professionalism and communication abilities. McWhorter successfully combines words with internal change like “better” or “was” and allomorphy like “things” or “pillars” and uses Arabic examples “kataba,” “yaktubu,” and “uktub” to show how constants can change.
He also proves that people do not face difficulties by combining sentences of different structures like questions, exclamations, and declarations to enrich their messages. There are many words that belong to certain functional and lexical categories to hold syntax together (Anderson et al. 281). In English, this variety impresses speakers and allows them to diversify their communication styles and make information delivery unique and memorable. Therefore, it is not enough to understand that language is specific to different cultures; we must take a step and learn this diversity from new perspectives.
Conclusion
In general, the relation between language and culture plays an important role and has to be recognized by all speakers to promote the right impact on human thoughts. Sometimes, it does not take much time and effort to understand the main idea of the message, even if it is in a foreign language. However, there are situations when native speakers cannot exchange information properly because of a poor level of knowledge of morphology or syntax. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance learning opportunities and follow McWhorter’s proposition to learn new languages because it is not only accessible and interesting but also changes people and positively contributes to human health.
Works Cited
Anderson, Catherine, et al. Essentials of linguistics. 2nd ed., eCampusOntario, 2022.
McWhorter, John. “4 Reasons to Learn a New Language.” TED. 2016. Web.
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