is language so important?

Arts & Culture Culture, Arts, Literature & Linguistics
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I couldn’t help thinking… there’s been so much talk abt language on this forum, what should be the national language, etc. etc.

is it really so important? why does language matter so much? in pakistan and india people really don’t care so much about language. most of them just want their kids to speak good english.

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Re: is language so important?

Language is the main part of a culture, a persons mothertongue defines his ethnicity.

Everyone speaking English would be so boring.

People on GS are not a representation of the real world, just a load of ppl with too much time on their hands, in the real woerld ppl are more concerened about earning some bread n butter for their kids and less about pashtun or punjabi nationalism.

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Re: is language so important?

I think it is important. Our language reflects our culture which in turn gives us our identity as Pakistanis. Urdu is something thats Pakistani, maybe it wasnt so originally, but now it has come to symbolzie Pakistan, just like a flag. It should very important to use along with all the other languages spoken in Pakistan since they are our cultural heritage.

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Re: is language so important?

Language is a medium through which history, culture and folk stories move forward and so its important. There are somethings that just can't be explained in another language. For example, the aborigines of north have 7 different words for snow and some tribes of native Americans do not differ between green and blue color in their language.

It is also argued that it is important for national unity, though I am not totally convinced.

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Re: is language so important?

Language is very important as was highlighted by the previous posters.

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Re: is language so important?

Language is how one communicates, expresses oneself, and a whole bunch of other very important things.

I think it's far more important to communicate in one's language at home than to fret over whether or not it should be made a national language.

Given that English has become the universal language, it is equally important to be able to understand and communicate in it.

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Re: is language so important?

Those who have no roots won't care about the language since they don't have any mother tongue. But those with strong roots will certainly care about their mother tongue.

I will give another analogy. Germans, French, Japanese and English will never abandon their language. Only native americans, africans, tribal people and those from third world countries who are not proud of their culture and language won't care about their language. Now identify yourself which category do you belong to.

My family or my children will never ever speak English at home. I am million times more proud about my mother tongue than anybody else in this world.

Beauty and the Beast
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Re: is language so important?

Sal saab what makes you think native americans or africans want to give up their language?

It depends who is the "majority" (the "majority" being who has the power ie for ecample, whites in s. africa in apartheid having life/death power over blacks though blacks were more numerous).

Babe ji you have got it totally wrong. Hope you know get it.

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Re: is language so important?


i relate to it...i have no roots, and i don't really belong to any culture ....though i am close to "some" hence i have not ONE language...but many!:D

those multiple languages i use reflect that i am a mutli cultural person...because as above posters mentioned:

1-language is the marker of one's ethnicity

2-language is the vector of the culture attched to that ethnicity

3-language is also a mean of commmunication...
but that is the basic level...the two above characteristics, are more important...more passionate issues: that's why there are so many threads about languages

and that's why the french president left a european summit yesterday, to protest against e french businessman speaking in english instead of french at this european meeting:D

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Re: is language so important?

Power doesn't come automatically. It's created when you are proud of yourself and work hard towards it. Japanese economic miracle didn't happen automatically. French or British empire didn't happen automatically. There were many hardwork and a band of dedicated people with high self pride which made that happen. These people never considered themselves to be second calss. I am now finding similar traits in many Indians. Sadly the Pakistanis are not showing similar traits and subconsciously accept themselves to be second class world citizen by admitting that English should become the primary mode of communication. Urdu is such a rich and romantic language. What makes this gentleman to raise such a topic? This indirectly suggests that he is happy to acknowledge himself to be a second class.

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Re: is language so important?

Former Indian Prime Minister used to speak in Hindi in the UN Assembly and never cared about what the International community thought about it. May be future Indian generation might call him an architect of making Hindi, an international language, a title like the one given to Bismarck as a maker of Modern Germany or making Germany an international giant in technology.

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Re: is language so important?

i wanna learn pashto! like George did in George Ka Pakistan ...lol

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Re: is language so important?

A person is most comfortable with the language he/she thinks in. So their natural reflex is to carry out any sort of communication in that particular language.

Having said that it's equally important to preserve the languages spoken within your country as it makes for your seperate identity and define your culture.

HAIR REMOVING for MEN !
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Re: is language so important?


i'm already doing it little lady;):D...(yes i'm as gori as george ka pakistan:d)