How can we define Language?
Language is simply a means of communication. It is our way of conveying what it means to be human. Animals communicate using signals, we communicate by spoken or written word. We are more complex than animals as we need to use our body language, eye contact and our tone of voice to say what we really mean.
Why is Language complicated?
There can be a lot going on behind a simple phrase. I could say for example: ‘Yesterday I saw James.’ On the face of it, the meaning is quite clear, but what is really going on in my mind as I speak? I could be thinking about yesterday’s weather and how cold it was or the fact that it was a Monday which immediately conjures up the song ‘I don’t like Mondays’ by the Boomtown Rats. Or I could be thinking about the last time I saw James which was over a year ago in the coffee shop in Temple Bar. This is just a fraction of what is going on in our heads at any given time while we are speaking.
How does Language make us human?
Language is the only way that we can figure out what we are really thinking. This is our interiority, the quality that makes us different from other animals. It’s our way of conveying what it means to be human.
What is the benefit of studying new Languages?
Studying a new language may not lead to linguistic fluency, but it can help us to be more linguistic tolerant and less linguistic imperialist. It can help us respect language for what it really is. It is not only a tool for communication but a means of differentiating one culture from another.
How can we keep Languages alive?
Let me illustrate with a sample of European languages:
‘Bonne nuit’, says the French man, ‘Guten nacht’, says the German, ‘Buenas noches’, says the Spanish and ‘Oiche mhaith’, says the Irish. Two simple words ‘Good night’ are said, written, and pronounced so distinctly. May we celebrate these differences!
For those endangered languages like Maori and Narrow Bantu, it is imperative that the New Zealanders and Africans continue speaking it amongst themselves to ensure they stay living languages as opposed to becoming extinct.