Why do language barriers happen?

Language and life-

The key to communicating effectively is language.  If two people don’t speak the same language, chances are, they won’t communicate very effectively.  If a person is traveling abroad, say in Japan, and they are lost, how do you communicate effectively?  You start asking those around you if they speak English, until you find someone around you who can help.

Will this eventually not be the case?  It’s hard to say.  If people become more interested in being bilingual, I think we can eventually communicate effectively.  With the amount of people who speak Spanish in the United States, we are becoming more bilingual each year.  In my high school, we had to take two years of a foreign language, and they really pushed Spanish on their students because we are becoming more of a bilingual nation.  I think as more people have to learn a language to ‘survive’ and communicate effectively, these are the steps to, in a way, bring us all together.

How do we construct this type of society?  I think this is all about multiculturalism and accommodating the rights of our minority groups.  If everyone was an ethnocentric, (having apathy towards all groups outside of their own) we wouldn’t have patriotism, we wouldn’t know what it’s like to being able to sacrifice for our own cultural groups.

Language and Sapir-Whorf-

This hypothesis stresses that thoughts and behavior are determined by our language.    That ‘one cannot think outside the confines of their language.’  This is divided in two different groups – linguistic determinism (how one thinks is determined by their language) and linguistic relativity (states that the difference in language reflect the different views of different people) 

Whorf thinks that the type of society where we all would understand and live together as we are cannot be done.  He believes that in our world view, people are so severely affected by their structure of language, therefore we can’t live in a cross-cultural society.

Language and technology-

But as the years continue, I believe that our gap is slowly closing with the help of technology.  With technology, many people demand things be translated in different languages.  Companies realize that their content should be visible in many languages.  This is also true with search engines.  If a web site operator couldn’t translate himself, he would pay to have it translated to another language.

People will always want to translate what they find interesting.   I think that over time, when something is google’d, there will eventually be sites that will come up in different languages, or have the option to select a language when you enter a site.  I think this will also interconnect us because it will have a larger audience.

Language and non-verbals-

Non-verbals also come into play when talking about language barriers.  There are many many things that mean the same thing in other countries.  We don’t always have to speak to get what we want or to get our point across.    In the article titled ‘The Whorf Hypothesis Examined,’ Amy Stafford states that ‘there is no question that the lexicon of a specific language mirrors whatever the nonverbal culture emphasizes.’  Like the author, I agree with the statement.  If we have enough describing words for the word snow, we can get a point across.  We can make phrases to get people to understand them as well.  I would agree in saying that this doesn’t make our ‘cognitive world perception’ any different than, say, someone who lived in Japan.

Why International Communication?

People from different groups have different ways of communicating.  Difficulties arise when conclusions are drawn from those different ways of communicating.  In an argument an unexpected tone of voice can cause misunderstanding, someone can stereotype that person. (Communicating through interethnic communication.)

In the reading by Matthew Scott and Grant Sherson titled ‘Intercultural Communication as a Dominant Paradigm,’ the writers say this is because we are of two broad groupings.  The first one titled the mentalists believe that aspects of culture exist in the mind; through they are evidenced in the world.  This would include beliefs, concepts, values and rules.  

The second group extends the boundaries of culture into the external world to the outcomes of the interior beliefs—even through physical artifacts.

The passage above is a good example to describe international communication.  One group (the mentalists) are interested in explanation, while the other group wants us to be effective communicators, taking us into the external world.

I think both of these groups describe why intercultural communication is important.  We should want to know all of the above; what is cultural and what is interest.  All of us have a view of what culture is because of what we’ve been told or raised to believe.  However, we might not really know without seeing it firsthand, without traveling, without that external world to guide us.

Edward T. Hall’s study of the history of International Communication within the United States and Japan can be tied in with what I said above.  In his findings, Hall discovered that systems of beliefs, values and worldviews are involved in the exchange of words and in non-verbal communication.  I believe this is saying that many of the people in Japan may have been mentalists before the 1960’s.

But Hall also said that in dealing with English-speaking people verses the Japanese, introducing concepts such as intercultural communication were needed.  Here, he extended the boundaries by saying that the Japanese explored international communication non-verbally by facial expressions, hand gestures, bowing, (etc.) in their lives, because he said the Japanese were said to rely less on verbal communication than English-speaking people.

Once again, all of this ties together with the very first statement I made.  For example, the Japanese and English-speaking people have completely different ways of communicating, and depending on which you are, or how you were raised—your view on this is different.  You could be a mentalist, and stick to what you were told—or you could explore and physically find out the boundaries between the two.  It’s important to notice the different ways that other counties communicate, or we could get lost when taking that physical leap into another country.  International communication means simply understanding not only the cultural differences, but why they are that way.

What is communication?

We need meaning for our words, so we search for it through some sort of communication.  Communication is our window through academics, relationships, friendships, etc.

Where would we be without Skype?  Facebook? IM? E-mail?  Even this blog?  Simple things we don’t seem to think about anymore are here because we need places to communication to each other.  And while these places may not be ideal for some, no one can deny their popularity and the fact people are using them at some point in their day-to-day lives.

It’s a two-way process.

We are born with the ability to talk and speak with each other, however, the way we communicate is learned.  When we’re in a group of students some of us may sit back before we add to conversation because we want to observe the communication methods of our peers.  If we do not communicate with our professors, do not speak appropriately in our papers, our way of communication is misunderstood.

You wouldn’t talk to a friend the same way you’d talk to your parents.  This is because over time, we’ve developed different, and newer ways to communicate.  Skype gives people the option to video chat at any moment in time, with anyone.  Instant messaging, text messaging and various other web sites provide a way of communication that our parents never had.

Does this mean our parents are better face-to-face communicators?  Does that mean we’re better on the Internet?

Non-verbal communication is also a huge part of communicating.  This is how a relationship, or a friendship starts.  That wink you give someone across the room can say more than needed when you’re trying to grab someone’s attention.  Once a relationship or a friendship starts, communication is key to keep it together.  Talking on a daily basis, learning about each other, it’s all part of communicating and keeping things together.

When we travel, we may often step out of our comfort zones when we visit another country.  What we are so use to in our day-to-day lives is now completely thrown out the window.  A wave in the states may mean a friendly hello, but in another country; it could be some sort of terrorist symbol.  Just like we were brought up to communicate the way we do, in other countries, they were taught the same overall concept, just with different meaning.  The way we would communicate in other countries is similar, in terms of the technological aspect.  Skype, social networking, and e-mail are also popular in other countries.

In today’s job market, if you’re bilingual, your chances of getting a job are a lot better.  This is easier to do, as you can minor or even major in another language while you're in college.  This is because as we’re growing, more people are moving to other countries.  As this happens, our need for another language will become more ideal in society. 

What it means to be an American..

We're traditionalists by nature, we can't help it.

The idea of having pride for our country is my first thought.  The American flag t-shirt, the flag waving outside of our homes, and the support our troops bumper stickers show our 'support' or thoughts for what/who we are as a country.

Government, the idea of freedom with rules.  Conforming, but still doing what we please..all of these things come to mind when I think about what it means to be an American.  Forming a line at the movies just because it's what we've been taught to do.  Driving within the lines and following the speed limits.  Saying we're got all the freedom in the world, but we cannot commit murder or another crime without punishment.  

Freedom of religion, speech and just thought in general also come with a price.  It's defined in so many ways--what it is to be an american.  Those beliefs we grow up with form our political parties, our religion, what is right and wrong, which laws to abide by..and so on.  Our culture, the way we communicate, it also sets all of us apart.

Growing up in Topeka, I've encountered a popular protesting group quite often.  Is that their idea of American?  Showing their dislike towards someone else's freedom?  So often, they stood across the street of my old high school, looking proud to show their opinion and protest the beliefs of others.

So often, we discuss politics and religion with those around us.  Is that was makes us an American?  How about stopping at McDonalds because we're hungry?  We're also viewed as the nation that spoils ourselves, the nation that put everything in it's occupants hands.  We only do it to ourselves.  We're the ones to blame for being called the 'fast food nation.'

We have a voice in our media, we have a voice in our government.  We can distribute movies and pictures with free right--any John Doe can be involved in this.  We all have a notion of 'social liberalism' in America.  But how does one person define what being an American is..?  And what makes that person correct?

We pride ourselves in that social liberalism, that positive freedom, but I believe we put ourselves in situations as a country that aren't so full of pride.

Most of all, when I think about being an American, I think that you must have love for your country above all others.  

But that love we may or may not have for our country can be defineable in so many ways.