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  • Essay / Why you should consider using more than one language in your studies

    During recent discussions about linguistic identity and diversity, there has been controversy over whether or not there is a correct way of speaking a language. Authors such as (David Foster Wallace, Gloria Anzaldua, Amy Tan and Silvia Montrul) present the different ways in which linguistic diversity can be a challenge. However, some people believe that in order to learn a new language they must lose their identity and therefore might indirectly refuse to learn a second language. Still others, considering that different dialects are used in different situations, believe that the use of a single dialect does not make us lose our cultural identity but gives us not one but two identities. All countries have a diversity of dialects in their language and for this reason, a person from the south may call a certain thing a different way than someone from the north or west, even if they are in the same country. Although there are many dialects used in each country, it is important that people are able to move between dialects and standard languages ​​in order to be successful in the many areas of life. In this article, I argue that being able to switch between multiple dialects increases your opportunities in your academic and social life without losing your identity and your native language. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In my own experience, as an international student at a university in the United States, linguistic diversity has been a challenge. International students face culture shock when they arrive in a completely different country, with a different language and culture, and language is one of the most difficult aspects of living in another country. Standard Written English (SWE), also known as Preferred Language Usage, is a language that we as international students must learn for convenience as it minimizes any misunderstanding and poor communication when speaking with other English speakers. David Foster Wallace, the author of "Authority and American Usage," argues that the use of standard written English is appropriate in professional life. He gives the example of a Snootlet (offspring of a Snoot) who is a very intelligent and very fluent SWE child who stands out from his teacher but his peers hate him. Although this child has very good SWE management and may become a very successful businessman in the future, he has a deficit in successful communication with other children his age, which may also affect his future relationships in the community. Those who only know how to speak in SWE are less successful in their social lives. On the other hand, other children who have a deficit in speaking and writing in SWE are punished in their academic life, but they have very good relationships with other children. Learning SWE is important so people don't close off their career advancement opportunities, but knowing what language to use with your peers can help you make friends. Additionally, the excerpt “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan discusses the limitations faced by a person, in this case her mother, who does not speak SWE and the benefits that Tan speaking SWE has brought to her mother. She states “when I was fifteen, she would make me call people on the phone, to pretend to be her” (page 713). For Tan's mother, it wasn't about not understanding what was happening but about expressing her ideas in the right way.correct. Additionally, Tan's benefit to her mother was helping her communicate her needs and problems through her ability to speak her mother's native language and SWE to explain to others in a more standard way. Indeed, expressing yourself correctly is sometimes difficult when you don't have the right words, but being flexible in language makes it easier to communicate your thoughts. Linguistic diversity is not only able to move between dialects but also, linguistic diversity or “multilingualism” is the identity of a nation and the cultural diversity of each individual in unity. Gloria Anzaldua, in her excerpt "How to Tame a Wild Language" from her book Borderlands/La Frontera, states that language cannot be defined as correct or incorrect due to the amount of existing dialects, and insists that preserving one's identity is just as important as learning SWE. Anzaldua says we should not be ashamed of the way we speak and that we should continue to practice our language with other people who speak the same language to preserve our identity. Many Spanish dialects are acquired under the influence of other Spanish-speaking countries. For example, the way a Mexican speaks Spanish is not the same as South Americans, but that doesn't mean either is incorrect. The world is too big and the diversity of people is too great for there to be just one correct way to speak. However, retaining your original language makes learning a new language more difficult. Wallace gives a different example of variety and explains why there is no one correct way to use a language due to the variety of dialects in his excerpt, and how important it is to learn a language correctly. When Wallace addresses his students, he says that they speak "Standard Black English" (SBE), and says that it is not that they are not using English correctly, but that they speak a different dialect of SWE. Wallace tries to teach them English in another sense, which is used in a different environment than when these students speak SBE with others who speak the same dialect. Wallace is not asking them to forget or stop using SBE, he is teaching them another dialect of their language which can have many benefits, such as finding a job or helping with better communication with teachers and people who do not speak SBE. Sometimes it's not just that. it is difficult for some people to learn a language correctly but also they are afraid to learn it. There are many factors that can cause a person to be hesitant about learning a new language. In Silvia Montrul's book, The Heritage Language Learner, the hardest thing about heritage language is losing your mother tongue. Family and educational institutions play an important role in maintaining living standards, for example East Asian immigrant families in the United States or Canada. Immigrants who have Chinese, Korean, or Japanese backgrounds learn English and slowly move away from their HL because they fear that speaking their HL will prevent them from fully learning English. Although they can speak and understand their HL, they have difficulty writing and reading it because they do not speak it much. Conversely, others strive hard to improve their HL by continuing to talk about it with their parents, learning from past generations, and trying to stay in touch with their roots. Although Montrul states that "small culture cannot defeat big culture" and although the environment in which we live has a strong influence on our language, this does not mean that we do not.”