Scribd
Upload
1K views

Assignment No: 1: Student No: 69861641 Module Code: AFL1501 Unique No

This document discusses linguistic identity and how one's environment shapes it. The student believes their linguistic identity is based on the language they grew up using to communicate with others, which is connected to their cultural and environmental upbringing. Their mother tongue was influenced by their background and how they were raised by their parents. The language one grows up with can program a person's way of thinking and influence their culture. While the student is bilingual, they do not think their cultural identity changes, but that language use depends more on context like whether they are at work or with friends. They speak their native language SiSwati with others who share that culture and English with those who may not understand SiSwati. English domin

Uploaded by

Sibusiso Charlie Olyphant
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
1K views

Assignment No: 1: Student No: 69861641 Module Code: AFL1501 Unique No

This document discusses linguistic identity and how one's environment shapes it. The student believes their linguistic identity is based on the language they grew up using to communicate with others, which is connected to their cultural and environmental upbringing. Their mother tongue was influenced by their background and how they were raised by their parents. The language one grows up with can program a person's way of thinking and influence their culture. While the student is bilingual, they do not think their cultural identity changes, but that language use depends more on context like whether they are at work or with friends. They speak their native language SiSwati with others who share that culture and English with those who may not understand SiSwati. English domin

Uploaded by

Sibusiso Charlie Olyphant
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Assignment No: 1

Student No: 69861641


Module code: AFL1501 
Unique No:
 

1. Discuss your linguistic identity in terms of your linguistic


environment with reference to: “Whenever we use language, we
reflect who we are”
 
Linguistic identity means that you consider yourself belonging to a certain group of people that
speak your language. e.g. Some people in Kwazulu Natal speak in Zulu and they identify
themselves as Zulus. In my point of view linguistic identity is based on one’s own identity on the
language we use to communicate with others. Linguistic identity is connected to cultural and
environmental upbringing. This can be referred to the way we grew up, our moral values, believes,
ethics and the way we express ourselves when we communicate with others. Our linguistic identity
tells us about our past, our culture and environmental influences. When communicating with
someone in their mother tongue, it is a way of showing your understanding of their culture and
believes and respect for their mother tongue.
Furthermore I believe my mother tongue is influenced by my background , Moreover state that
linguistic identity is attained from birth and the way I was groomed by parents and that’s how my
linguistic identity is obtained. Language programs people to think in a certain way, as people
think in a certain way, they create a culture and hence the way you behave culturally is
determined amongst others by the language you grew up with. One’s culture most usually relates
to one’s home, locale’, neighbours, and school experiences. It includes things such as preferred
foods and modes of dress. Often there is also a ‘way of speaking’ which may be within the
dominant language but is somewhat distinctive.
 

2. Do you think your Linguistic Identity changes because of this?

This is something all of us bilinguals "know", but have a hard time in formulating. My feeling is
that cultural identity may go unchanged, even though one uses the other language. The choice
of language is rather more dependent on the context "work language" vs. "buddies' language.

3. Why do you think so?

Definitely for information sharing or communication one has to use a language understood by
everyone communicating, since language is an instrument of communication. I speak SiSwati
when I’m with Swati culture people and  speak English when I’m with people who might not
understand SiSwati language.

4. Which Language will now dominate your thinking and world view?
 
English is the language of the modern world. All people around the world know the
English language importance in our life, because we need it in our work and sometimes when we
meet other people from other cultures, maybe they are not from Africa but we almost think they
are talking English. However in the future might not be the case because technology will create
widespread translating solutions.

5. Will this affect your cultural believes and identity and why?
 
Yes, affect and be through the change of personal behaviour and the words they use in their
dealings with others, and their view of English as a better identity than their original identity. It is
a well-known fact that culture and language are closely interrelated and these connections may
be perceived by examining our daily life. That is the reason , they make up such comment as “
the youth have lost our culture” , is because  of these adaptation of modern languages that seen
as better than others.

6. Conclusion

There is much more to be said about the unity in diversity of human languages. All languages are
manifestations of the single phenomenon, language, that most characteristic of human
attributes. Development of a human being in generally influenced by environment. The
environment of the classroom, home and community contribute much to the process.  For
example in the case of infants they acquire language automatically, in environments where
infants are usually raised. The only one thing is important for language acquisition is exposure to
people communicating in a natural human language.

To conclude, my opinion of linguistic identity is who we are. I believe it is the environment and
the people who surround us while we grow up. Our linguistic identity is the culture that surround
us and something that we need to hold onto wherever we go. For me religion also plays a big
role because I have been taught about it since I was small and it has always been important to
me and my family. 
 
 

References:
Daniela K ( 2007), Language and identity in South Africa, Munich, GRIN Verlag,
https://www.grin.com/document/78869

Eid, M. (2010 ). Constructing Gender Through Text-From Obituaries to Proverbs, in Languages


and Linguistics

Hausser, Roland R (2008). Foundations of Computational Linguistics: Man-Machine


Communication in Natural Language. Berlin: Springer.

Pinker, S (2012). The Language Instinct. New York: Morrow.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy