4. Identity (Fry’s Planet World)

Whilst watching a video on ‘Language Identity’, a question crossed my mind,

How does language include/exclude; represent/misrepresent?

Although before I delve deeper into this question, I would like to understand what defines us. Surely our language does, after all it is the way we communicate to the rest of the world. It both represents and defines us. Our own accents are shaped by where we are born or raised. Language alters the way we perceive the world around us. But how? And if this is true, then what about people who are bilingual?

Language and culture can have a relation to our cuisines, the food we eat. For example, the family in San Sebastian who ran a restaurant explained that their language Basque was represented through the food they made and was a way of making sure their language was preserved.

Or even the Occitane language of southern France which is endangered, because the French government only wants one central language, the ‘original’ language – French. The people who spoke Occitane however, felt that their language was linked to their culture and identity of their land. I believe that it is important to preserve Occitane and other languages in the same position as it, because it could be an important part of some people’s identity and culture. Although, I understand why the government would want one language, I don’t think it is okay to exclude other languages/dialects.

There was also the man who Stephen interviewed in the video, who said that he felt English was ‘invading’.  And the ‘French Academy’, where the ‘Immortals’ who are a group of writers, politicians, etc. came together and decided which words should be kept, added or declined in the French language. I can understand their need to not let a language like English invade their language and alter it, even if not in a major way.

Some languages such as Hebrew, were even re-invented. I think this is a really good way of not letting a language fade away, but re-creating it so that it can suit us better ‘today’.

After watching this video, I also wondered, ‘How would you feel about a teacher teaching a language that wasn’t native to them to someone whose mother tongue would be that language’?