We could say that our social life is already pervaded by language as we normally need language to express, to show quest in our daily lives. Generally speaking, language is a core element to a social life. While the definition of language could be many, It is important for us to define what language is. Not only a sound produce from speech organ is a language, but also a person who stays silent, who laughs, who sobs could also be a language.
To put it simply, all attempt that we hope to show our inner thoughts or to draw others attention or to tell other something is also a language. It is what we use to exchange our ideas and knowledge. So, we could see that language actually pose a very great impact on human life. In the aspect of social life, it must involve more than two persons and it is something about the experience that we interact with people. What kind of people encountered in our life would absolutely be different as everyone has their unique story and will never be the same. Language and social life actually is closely connected when we look deeper into our daily interaction with people.
Therefore, I will mainly discuss, illustrate and demonstrate that how these two elements inextricably linked as well as how language and social life influence each other. In the following discussion, I will separate this discussion into three parts. In first part, I will explain why language and social life is closely linked with theories. Deeply illustrating why language and social life could not be separated would be the second part with real example in my daily encounter. In the third part, I will evaluate these two elements how they pose an influential impact on each other. Explaining the relationship between language and social life We are students of language, it is great for us to prove this claim as these two elements are also imperatively affecting our future. We could say that actually language is a vehicle which used by human as all of us is actually using this device- language, to show who we are. Language is a basic element of social life.
Although language could be verbal or written language and body language or many things, for example, a word, a sign, a gesture, and so on. They are all the examples of language. Yet, I would like to discuss spoken language and written language throughout this chapter. Another thing we need to be aware that language and communication are actually not equal and they are never the same.
Due to the fact that species could actually could communicate without using language. For example, birds could send message to others but without using language. Nevertheless, we are human beings, we somehow need to use spoken language to communicate, otherwise, misunderstanding would easily raise. Therefore, I am discussing the aspect of spoken language in this discussion. Spoken language means the vocal sounds that we used to communicate among individuals.
Besides this, social life means not staying alone but interact and socialize with others when you want to enjoy your life. Indeed, many elements constitute one’s social life. Everyone has their unique social experience because of different identity one possessed. In the view of language, when you socialize with others, spoken language must be involved so as to communicate or to express one’s ideas. So, our social life and the interaction with others could not be completed without language. The basis for evaluation is perception, that is, what the recipient extracts from a given message will determine the Judgment that he or she makes of the speaker.
‘(Street and Hopper, 1982) The above theory show what we often talk with people, yet, actually how we speak would indirectly affect how people hint who we are and they make Judgment on us throughout the conversation. Then, it is the social identity people labeled on us. How social identity influenced our social life would be discussing in the following part. Illustrating the relationship between language and social interaction with examples In this part, I would like to discuss the relationship between language and social life in a personal aspect. Some people hold the view that language make one’s identity while some say that identity decides our language. There are many point of view to this argument. While I rather support the latter argument. The main idea I would like to point out that is one’s identity decides the language he speaks, and the language he speaks would affect the kind of people he meets.
Let me give a vivid example that is still happening in our society. Many young people in Hong Kong tend to speak in English while socializing with their friends. “ The choice of language and the use to which language is put is central to a peoples’ definition of themselves in relation to their natural and social environment” (Eng; gig, 1986) Most of them think that speaking English is a symbol of their high-class identity, they want to be more superior than there people and differentiate themselves from those who could only speak in Chinese.
I have a friend who works in a famous brand company-Hollister. Her English basically has a very large room for improvement as well as cannot speak in English so fluently. Yet, she noticed that those girls who worked in Hollister generally speak good English and wanted to act like an American.
Then, she started to speak English with an American accent with her colleagues. Since she starts working in Hollister, I notice that every time she hang out with her friends, her friends are almost the same Tyler in every aspects, for example, their appearance and their hair style, most importantly, speaking good English. From the above example, we could see language and social life is actually linked in a certain extent. What kind of language we speak would somehow influence what kind of people stay around us.
Apart from observing my friend’s experience, I would also like to discuss the situation I could observe in my campus in a collective aspect. -Poly University. There are many students with different culture background studying in Poly University, it is not official for us to notice that students with same culture background would always stay together. For instance, Hong Kong students tend to stay with the same ethnic group while the students who come from mainland would prefer to stay with the mainlanders as well as foreigners would stay foreigners. I believe the cause why this phenomenon exists is mainly because of their language used.
Using the same language to communicate somehow could generate a sense of belonging to the same ethnic groups and a feeling of home. Social life is therefore affected because of the different language used. It is therefore we could come up a small conclusion that language and social life is closely linked through illustrating this common phenomenon- the same language would drive groups together while speaking different language might drive people apart. In addition to spoken language, I would like to talk about how written language influence social life too. In the previous discussion, I mentioned that language could be spoken or written one and actually social life could be the actual one which is socialize in person or could be socialize through internet, like some social network – Watchstrap, Faceable, twitter, and so on. It is an obvious trend that teenagers tend to use these tool to communicate with others so as to avoid face to face communication. Apart from face-to-face colonization, teenagers like communicating through internet too.
Advanced technology compressed our time and space that make our communication more convenient. It is not possible for us to communicate through internet without language. Without language, our social life in internet is basically impossible as we could not only send our pictures or emoticon to express our thoughts. Socializing with friends could be in different forms. Yet, every forms of colonization also require spoken or written languages, they are therefore inextricably connected. If we want social life becomes possible, languages are needed and they could not lose each other.
That is to say, if we don’t socialize with others, languages are then unnecessary. Demonstrating the close relationship between language and social life Language is not compulsorily needed in our communication because of our body language which could also send out message to achieve aims. Some things that we want others to do can be accomplished without language GE, such as moving out of our way (we can physically move them). (Sighing and James, 1993).
Yet, when I think of those who could not speak since they are born. It is absolutely true that even for those who could not speak still need language very much. They could communicate through holding different hand postures-technology. They could still understand each other as well as they are really communicating but using different forms only. The above is an extreme case to discuss the claim that language and social life is inextricably connected. Language is the primary instrument for achieving influence. (Eng and James, 1993) Without language, it is then impossible to communicate. Without social life, language is not needed.
From the above, we could see that language is a basic and fundamental element to the process of interaction. The vast majority of our goals are formulated in regard to active others who possess minds and intentionally, and these goals are achieved essentially through language. Gibbons, Abroad & Busch, 1992) It is because language is too common and ordinary and no one ever realizes the importance of language. ‘ Differences in pronunciation, word choice, or grammar can signal identity in a number of ways. Word choice is another way to signal differences in status identity, o display symbolic capital, or to signal something important about the situation you find yourself in’ (Dinnertime, 1997 ) Let me give an example to illustrate how language shows a person’s social identity. My sister is a member of Accountancy Society at university. Last week I attended the inauguration ceremony. The language used in the whole process of ceremony is English.
I was wondering why people used English to give a speech in front of public. I understand that English Language is viewed as more superior than other language and show one’s social status. Yet, most f them are Hong Kong people, why did they speak English to present but why not Chinese? If the representative of the Accountancy Society and the guests who were invited to the ceremony could speak Chinese to present a speech, the meaning and the encouragement would surely been gave out. It is mainly because the status of English language is still very important and recognize it as official language in the world.
Language is a Symbol of the Speaker’s Social Identity; ‘ Language is a badge of identity (Tama, 2014) Social life surely means different social status of people interact with each other. However, how one’s speak somehow shows that the status a person holds in society. Social life is actually the same. People tend to speak English, especially the adolescents in Hong Kong, in order to show their status among their friends.
Language is always, if not a must, closely linked to social life. Language is one of the elements to decide a social status of one person. Apart from expressing our thoughts, language is also a fundamental element that represent our social identity. A social class of one person could be recognized by the language he used.
“ Members of the working class tend to speak less standard language, while the rower, middle, and upper middle class will in turn speak closer to the standard. ” (Maraud, 2011) That is so true, it is not difficult for us to understand why different class of people speak different standard of language. That is to say, our language affects our social identity, and social identity directly affect your social life. We need to get a smart language to communicate with others if we want a higher position in a society. In this society, it is not important that where a person comes from, it is only crucial that if we have the great ability to prove yourself you should serve a high position. Moreover, ‘ Language can be a very important factor in group identification, group solidarity and the signaling of difference’ (Trudging, 2000) In a word, it is all about your language.
When we speak a smart language, we have more friends from higher positions in a society. As a result, the message we received from them would be totally different or might influence our prospect. To conclude, it starts from what language we speak and how we speak it. Conclusion Language and social life, they have one common thing.
It is everyone has and everyone needs them. Try to imagine one day, you don’t have social life, it means you have no friends, no family members to talk with, then we do not need language anymore. Then, there is no point of possessing a smart language when you do not have anyone that you want to express your inner thoughts or wish to. It is Just meaningless if our social life does not work. Try to imagine that all people in the world could not speak, it would be extremely terrible. Our social life will not be possible anymore if all of us could not speak as only body gestures could not express our thoughts enough.
Without one of them, the other one would be totally meaningless. Here we could prove that language and social life is closely linked to each other.
