Is Language Important?
Is language important? Place ten people in a room for one hour, remove their ability to speak and watch insanity do its thing.
The initial source of language and languages has puzzled researchers and linguists for centuries. Presuppositions always determine the answer. If mankind evolved from lesser forms of life, then we can only postulate the origin of language and languages. Those darn presuppositions.
How did language evolve? Now we have some presuppositional-based possibilities. No proof, just assumptions.
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Somehow humans figured out that language was needed to communicate. And not knowing the origination of the first humans, evolution assumes that matter has always existed, that a piece of matter turned itself into an organic molecule, which developed into some form of "life," which eventually morphed itself into a primate, which finally became a human, which believed that it controlled its own destiny. Other than the fact that every human dies and has no idea what happens after that.
Back on topic...maybe early humans relied on grunts and gestures. Apparently, their vocal cords required years to evolve to the point where they could properly form words. Along the way, "somebody" learned how to put grunts and moans into words that other humans understood. One branch of this theory is labeled the Natural Sound Theory, which suggests that language evolved from natural sounds or cries.
The fairy tale of speech evolution continues. We are asked to believe that as these early communities grew and diversified, so did their language, leading to the gradual evolution of distinct linguistic identities. This process was neither quick nor uniform, but rather a slow accumulation of changes that led to the richness of languages we see today.
Let's drop the fairy tale and allow another presupposition to enter the room.
If the God of the Bible exists, then He reveals the original source of humans and language in Genesis 1.
God spoke.
God's words have the power to create something from nothing. Being all powerful, He could communicate in any manner He chose. That's beyond human understanding. But God obviously wanted humans to understand Him and each other, so He chose to create language: words, grammar, syntax, paragraphs, genres. And He created humans with the built-in ability to speak and understand Him and other humans through language.
Genesis 1: 26-27 states that God created man and woman in God's image. God is not an inanimate "force" that surges through us when we need help, or that can be manipulated and bent to our will. God is a personal being who communicates. His choice to express his will through language is a reflection of his divine nature. Human speech is a reflection of God's nature that He built into humans.
"Why" did God create humans with the immediate ability to use and understand language? God didn't want a planet of mindless robots.
God had ongoing communications with Adam after He created him and put him in the garden. The first mention of Adam actually speaking was when he named the animals (Genesis 2:19).
Language enables individuals to transmit knowledge, share experiences, and build societies through shared narratives and collective memories, laying the groundwork for civilizations.
Scientists postulate that brain processing played a crucial role in shaping language capabilities. As human brains evolved, they became adept at producing and understanding complex syntax and vocabulary, which allowed for the expression of abstract ideas and emotions. Fairy tale.
God didn't need to teach a primate how to talk. From day one, Adam understood the words that God spoke with him. God gave Adam all the language abilities that evolutionists attribute to prehistoric humans.
Evolution assumes the spread of languages with no evidence as to how the first language morphed into other languages.
Genesis 11 presents a world full of people, all speaking the same language and rebelling against God. Not much has changed over the centuries.
God's creation of multiple languages caused not only confusion - people could no longer successfully communicate with people - but those languages caused divisions in society. People formed their own "groups" and developed their own cultures.
We have no idea what the original language was like. We can "assume" that it contained the basics of words and grammar, etc., because every language has the same foundational items inherently built into its own structure. Grammars differ significantly between languages, but every language contains a built-in structure of grammar.
If a culture could move away from all other cultures, they had a better chance of survival. If the circumstances, like geography or economics, forced them to stay close to other language groups, which were developing their own unique cultures, they had to figure out a way to communicate. cross-culturally.
Languages: The Birth of Cross-Cultural Communication
As large groups segregated around their own language, they splintered into smaller groups and formed regional dialects. As long as everyone in a group spoke the same language, their internal communication gave the group a better chance at survival against other groups. Dialects changed the playing field within the larger groups. As people lost the ability
to communicate within their own group, they needed to spend more time
trying to understand people who had begun communicating in ways that
were "different" than the "main" group.
As time went on, some groups died out. Archaeology continues to stumble across cultures that humanity has for long forgotten. Language died out with the disappearance of culture. Mankind has never been able to preserve cultures long enough for the distant future to remember them. Its a narrow view of history to attempt the preservation of a language and its culture.
Purpose of Language: Communication
Communication builds and destroys relationships. If we don't understand one another, we usually fight. If we do understand one another, but disagree, we usually fight. Not communicating never solves the problem. Wars are stopped when people and cultures stay away from each other.
As the world gets smaller (internet and faster transportation) and the world's population grows larger than any time in "known" history, cross-cultural communication that develops successful and tolerant relationships becomes essential for hindering more wars.
This is important.
Languages are the foundations of cultures, not the other way around.
A culture will eventually influence its language, but language lays the framework for a culture. In order to fully understand another culture, a person HAS TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF THAT CULTURE. Tourists never understand a foreign culture. They just take pictures, pay money and eat the food.
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Learning a culture's language usually teaches us to actively listen to other viewpoints that are embedded in other cultures. Communications allow individuals from diverse backgrounds to share their thoughts, cultures, and experiences, which can foster understanding and empathy.
Cross-cultural communication faces another roadblock. Body Language. Our facial and body expressions cannot be understood without verbal explanation somewhere along the line. Each culture teach its own body language. Understanding body language between cultures cannot be learned by watching another person. We need a verbal explanation. After we have received a verbal explanation, then we can interpret a specific body language correctly the next time we encounter it. Maybe.
Personal Advantage for
Learning a Language
Language promotes brain health and cognitive longevity, offering mental stimulation that can delay age-related cognitive decline and build a resilient mind. In a cross-cultural context, language learning enhances memory, problem-solving skills, and increased creativity, all of which are invaluable in global interactions.
Disadvantages of Learning a Language
NONE!
Difficulties in Learning a Language
Pronunciation. Our brains are wired to pronounce foreign words in the same way that we do our mother language. Pronunciation requires continuous practice, enabling clearer, more effective communication.
Grammar Rules. Grammar variations require a deeper understanding of the language structure, which provides insights into the unique cultural logic embedded within each language system. Some languages use cases (masculine, feminine, neuter) to distinguish parts of speech. These languages attach endings to nouns to reveal the place of the noun in the sentence.
In English: The house and garage are new, but I don't need it. What does "it" refer to? The house or the garage?
In German: Das Haus und die Garage sind neu, aber ich brauche sie nicht." The case ending for house is neuter (das), but the case ending for garage is feminine (die). Therefore, "it" in German has to be "sie" and not "es," which would refer to "Haus." German speakers understand that the person speaking is saying that he doesn't need the garage. The cases have to match.
Vocabulary differences present another hurdle. Even within the same language family, words can have drastically different meanings or connotations, creating potential for confusion. Vocabulary acquisition will become a lifelong endeavor.
T'he word "believe" can mean at least four things.
1) I believe it's going to rain = I don't know if its going to rain.
2) I believe that I can do that = I think I can do that.
3) I believe that's true = I'm sure of it.
4) I believe him = I trust him.
Cultural nuances often pose challenges as they involve understanding not only the language but also the customs, beliefs, and attitudes that underpin communication styles.
In English: "I put my foot in my mouth."
In German: Ich habe mich in die Nesseln gesetzt" translates literally to "I have set myself in the nettles." It is a common idiom for saying something embarrassing or inappropriate.
Translation challenges arise from capturing the intent and cultural context of words and phrases, which can lead to misinterpretations if not adeptly handled. In 1977, the translator for President Jimmy Carter apparently mistranslated a phrase from Carter as Carter was speaking to the Polish government. President Carter said, "I want to learn about the Polish people’s ‘desires for the future.’ He said “He was happy to grasp at Poland's private parts.” Plus, he translate some of Carter's speech in Russian, which was a mild insult to the Polish people.
It's harder than you think.
The core parts of language, from a linguistic perspective, include:
- Phonology: The study of speech sounds and how they are organized in a language.
- Morphology: The study of word formation and structure, including morphemes (the smallest units of meaning).
- Syntax: The rules governing how words are combined to form sentences.
- Semantics: The study of meaning, including word meanings and how they combine to create meaning in sentences and texts.
- Pragmatics: The study of how language is used in context, including social rules and conventions of language use.
It's easier than you think.
Every language has the same elements. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Every language has some overlap with other languages in concepts and vocabulary.
Your desire to learn another culture and build good relationships with people who will become your close friends will lighten the pressure. You will begin to enjoy receiving help from others. If you could push a button and learn a language instantly, you wouldn't need the nationals helping you, and that would greatly hinder building relationships.
If you can find a copy, read this book:
Brewster, Bonding and the Missionary Task: Establishing a Sense of Belonging, Pasadena, Lingua House, 1992.
This book can be applied to ANYBODY wanting to build deep relationships with people from other cultures.
I'll write an in-depth blog describing the best ways to learn a language.
Language is a Tool
Language learning is for those looking forward to meeting people from other cultures. It requires an attitude of learning, curiosity and a genuine desire to learn about other people. Languages serve as a passport, offering entry into varied worlds and expanding personal and communal horizons.
However, language is just a tool. Fighting intolerance, racism and ethnocentrism requires humility from those who learn other languages. A unified world with every culture openly accepting every other culture will never happen. Even language learning can never overcome the moral and ethical differences between cultures. Language can help us understand those differences, but every culture draws a line in the sand as to what they will accept from another culture.
For those who believe that language learning is the key to achieving
global peace, history proves otherwise. Language learning merely increases our
understanding of people from other cultures. How we respond to their differences determines the level of peace achieved.
People learn languages for good and bad reasons. People build relationships for good and bad reasons. Economics, status, money, experience, politics, missions, military. This blog does not focus on those reasons.
To repeat:
Languages are the foundations of cultures, not the other way around.
A culture will eventually influence its language, but language lays the framework for a culture. The steps involved in learning a language will build your relationship with people in another culture.
In order to fully understand another culture, a person HAS TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF THAT CULTURE.
Language-Learning Tools:
Rocket Languages
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Bible Verse of the Day
1Cor. 4:11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
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