Hailee Wheat, School Events Editor
Many people throughout their life pick up at least one other language alongside their primary language. Being in America makes it easier for people who want to connect with their culture and for aspiring polyglots to pick up a selection of languages. With an abundance of different cultures around us, languages are opportunities to break down the barriers and better understand others.
While there are many obvious benefits of learning another language, like traveling to foreign countries, there are many other underrated benefits.
Ms. Aquino explained how learning Spanish helps her students connect the gap between people, “[Learning Spanish] gives them a better idea of why the Spanish-speaking community does certain things they do or think the way they do.” Ms. Aquino continued with how learning languages provides a better understanding of different cultures, “It creates less of a division between people knowing the language and the custom of any language that they’re doing.”
By learning languages, it is easier for people to further enrich themselves and understand more about not only the culture but the people the language belongs to.
In order to feel in touch with their ancestral background, many people use the process of learning their family’s native language to help better understand their culture’s customs and traditions.
Daljit Takher, Rancho Cucamonga High School multilingual senior, explained how learning Punjabi has assisted her in embracing Indian culture. “It has better connected me to my culture because it allows me to feel part of it rather than just look at it from afar. I feel as if I had not been able to speak Punjabi, it would have especially been difficult for me to connect with my parents and family and understand family beliefs and traditions.”
Through learning a language, it allows for further investment into the culture and less limitations on the resources to learn. Amanda Rodriguez, Rancho Cucamonga High School bilingual senior, also provided her input on the relationship between language and culture for her personally, and for the rest of the world. “Being multilingual, I feel more connected to my culture and my people. I think it’s important for people of different cultures to mesh because there are always misunderstandings between cultures and one thing that can fix that is if we can better communicate with each other.”
As the world becomes more diverse and cultures mix, the existence of miscommunication will become harder, and understanding others will be easier. Learning new languages allows for endless opportunities and world unity.
The Cat's Eye 