How Language Shapes One's Cultural Identity
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Language is something that consists of symbols that convey meaning, plus rules for combining those symbols, that can be used to generate an infinite variety of messages (Wayne Weiten, 2008). The universal concept of language refers to the cognitive faculty that allowing human being to learn and also use the system of complex communication in their daily life. As for cultural identity, it is being defined as the identity of a certain group of culture of a particular person. In American anthropology, culture can be interpreted as sets of ideal life practices and routines that are being set up by people that come from different continents of the world. For some people, culture is the lifestyle that they live and breathe in. Culture shapes one’s identity by the things that they are doing in their daily life or things that they like, for example things in a particular religion that they practices daily, literature, arts and music that they enjoy and etc. By doing those things each and every single day, they would eventually adapted and get used to it and later on become a part of their identity.
1.2 Statement of Problem
This research is focusing on how language could shape one’s cultural identity. Another thing that would be looked into further would be the causes and effects for a person who could not speak their native language. For example, a lot of people are saying that the way for a person to understand and appreciate arts and literature of a culture is by speaking the language of that particular culture. Thus, does it mean that people who do not speak their native language could not understand and appreciate their cultural arts and literature? For a person who does not speak his or her mother tongue, does it means that he or she does not possess the cultural identity of a particular culture?
1.3 Objective of the Study
1. To study how language shapes one’s cultural identity.
2. To explore the
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Language is something that consists of symbols that convey meaning, plus rules for combining those symbols, that can be used to generate an infinite variety of messages (Wayne Weiten, 2008). The universal concept of language refers to the cognitive faculty that allowing human being to learn and also use the system of complex communication in their daily life. As for cultural identity, it is being defined as the identity of a certain group of culture of a particular person. In American anthropology, culture can be interpreted as sets of ideal life practices and routines that are being set up by people that come from different continents of the world. For some people, culture is the lifestyle that they live and breathe in. Culture shapes one’s identity by the things that they are doing in their daily life or things that they like, for example things in a particular religion that they practices daily, literature, arts and music that they enjoy and etc. By doing those things each and every single day, they would eventually adapted and get used to it and later on become a part of their identity.
1.2 Statement of Problem
This research is focusing on how language could shape one’s cultural identity. Another thing that would be looked into further would be the causes and effects for a person who could not speak their native language. For example, a lot of people are saying that the way for a person to understand and appreciate arts and literature of a culture is by speaking the language of that particular culture. Thus, does it mean that people who do not speak their native language could not understand and appreciate their cultural arts and literature? For a person who does not speak his or her mother tongue, does it means that he or she does not possess the cultural identity of a particular culture?
1.3 Objective of the Study
1. To study how language shapes one’s cultural identity.
2. To explore the