Languages and Cultures as Resources - Essay Sample

Introduction

Language is a spoken, manual, or written human communication system that consists of words spoken by members of a social group and the participants in its culture. On the other hand, culture is a way of life that comprises values, customs, beliefs, traditions, and languages. Culture is unique for a particular group of people such as a community from the Middle East characterized by a different religion, cuisine, music, social habits, and arts. It is an acquired and shared attribute for a particular society. Culture can be associated with symbolic communication, yet still, communication is culture. Languages and culture matter as resources in people's lives since they represent an art of the people, a community's historical representations, an economy, influence the thoughts of the people, and create differentiation of scenarios.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Culture is an important aspect of the wellness and learning of human beings and is a key characterization for healing and social development of the group at the focus. For instance, art is part of the culture. Art is made uniquely for a particular community by specific talented artists and arts organizations who also organize cultural events and festivals. For instance, the Middle East comprises various dancers, musicians, and filmmakers, who are central to the cultural idealization of the communities. It all began in the ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt through religious worship characterized by various musical instruments, a rich hymnody, and a well-organized ritual. Concerning language, Mesopotamia used cuneiform texts, plaques, and artworks that shared important information regarding the musical culture of the people around (George 2003). The "Danyavaad and Shimmy Sisters" is one of the groups comprising four musicians and dancers within the Middle East who communicate culture in their music and dance. There has been vocal and written music, which is a characterization of language for the Middle East. A student from the area would grow to acquire the cultural heritage of society. I have attended various musical concerts that have shaped how I perceive different cultures and languages. These artists used to represent cultures from around the world. Furthermore, I have been to the museum and seen the cultural heritages of different societies such as Japanese writing and lifestyle. These have shaped my sense of belonging, and I can well integrate with them. Therefore, language and culture through art are critical aspects of people's lives.

Culture also comprises of historical, conventional buildings, monuments, burial sites, and museums that are a critical representation of the culture of certain people. Each community in the world has unique traditions, practices, and customs that represent a specific living heritage. All these are considered additional factors to acknowledge the ancestors as well as the specific identity and cultural life shared (Joseph 2016). For the Middle East countries, particular cultural patrimonies are existing as either secular or religious ones. These nations, as well as those around North Africa, share almost similar cultures. A world's heritage list maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) already acknowledges the Middle East as being a region of nonmaterial heritage (Cernea 2001). Religions of people represent a cornerstone of each person's existence as well as their daily way of life (Block 2014). One representation of Middle East culture is the Minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque (the Mosque of the Booksellers) that has been in existence since the 11th century. Its scaffoldings are presently embracing the building. Furthermore, the region promotes a patrimony's contribution to education through the acknowledgment of school programs that focus on education in indigenous languages. A student learning in the Middle East may not face challenges adapting to the culture and language of the people yet ought to acquire them as secondary skills adding to their English as a secondary language. I have been to visitations and seen various monuments from different times in antiquity. Besides, I have learned various nonmaterial heritages of other communities through views from cinemas and films. Through them, I have understood the way of life different people, including their verbal and written communication such as the Chinese. It is, therefore, evident that both material and nonmaterial heritage are critical aspects of people's lives.

Culture and language are also significant parts of the economy of a region. Many creative enterprises and industries represent important aspects of a national and provincial economy. For instance, the wealth of the Middle East is accumulated by cultural workers, non-governmental organizations, media, and marketing firms, as well as the cultural and tourism sectors. A creative economy is that which consists of skilled cultural workers who can come up with creative ideas for the people, their industries, and various enterprises (Baker & Hesmondhalgh 2013). Many immigrants around the Middle East and North Africa are attracted by culture, language, and economy of the people. Additionally, the people are retained by their embracement of a unique culture. More evidently, a student within the Middle East may be considered to be hosted by an international energy storehouse that is significant to the world's politics and economics. Some of the creative industries around the area include the miners of gold, silver, uranium, and other non-ferrous, rare metals that represent the largest share of the economy. A graduate student from the area may not only be employed within the area but also embrace the culture, language, and economy of the majority of the people whom they meet in the industries. My country's economy is also not left out as it is shaped and influenced by mineral industries, exports, and imports. Therefore, one affects the other, and the language of the people that is integral in religion and culture is also a factor affecting the economy of the people.

There is a magical influence from language to the lives led by a particular community. Language creates a significant impact on the emotions, thoughts, and emotions of particular people. While language can confuse, mislead, and hurt a group of people, it may promote the lives of the people speaking a similar language (Cantle 2012). For instance, a student learning in the Middle East with English as their second language may want to adapt to Arabic to seek important services form the Arabians in the region offering further quality education. From a cultural aspect, Arabic contributes to being the native language around the region out of intermarriages as were before between nomadic tribes and several additional ones within the region. Intermarriage also brought about various other dialects that have been significant to particular communities (Lahdo 2009). Therefore, one may need to learn the different spoken languages to seek additional services such as healthcare. In that case, it has always been evident that many healthcare professionals around the Middle East may be required to dumb down for them to communicate those languages native to the patients. Language matters for the social and ideal life of everyone in the Middle East and other countries. Most people may also associate language to attitude (Gardner & Lambert 1972). Most attitudes can also be linked to culture since they are developed as a result of observational learning from the environment, creating some that are cognitive, while others are effective. From my perspective, I have experienced various attitudes towards different cultures, which have been swayed by cultural interactions and learning of different cultures. I have noticed that language and culture are attributes of my attitude, which is a central domain for a particular community. Together, they are resources that shape the lives of the people.

A student in the Middle East may also lack formality in their language, especially in English writing, when they acquired it as a second language. The concept of language register has been difficult to comprehend by various individuals as most people cannot differentiate the levels and languages to use at different times and events (Pennycook 2009). The cultural aspect of it may be that they may not want to go against their cultural practices by embracing more of the secondary languages than their primary languages. However, many people have a working understanding of the concept of different languages for different scenarios (Hoffman, 1998). This is critical in establishing their cultural heritage and promotes their well-being. The various audience, topic, purpose, and location of the use of language are significant in deriving the lifestyles of a particular group of people. Various schools in the region emphasize language, but still a factor in the cultures of the students. Such include the Trinity College Dublin and the SOAS University of London. These schools emphasize that the world's languages are key constituents in communication and unlocking of culture and history. While learning in the Middle East, a student may interact directly with the society, culture, and language used around them. For my case, my direct interactions with students from different cultures have led me to embrace their cultures even without fully integrating with them. An embracement of the cultures of the people from antiquity to present is critical in ensuring that the people around the Middle East and beyond, including the immigrants are well integrated into the society and interact in their daily lives.

Language and culture are two most important resources that characterize the art of the people, a community's historical representations, an economy, influence the thoughts of the people, and make differences in scenarios, which in turn shape the lives of the people. The Middle East is characterized by different people, including artists, dancers, and musicians who shape the lifestyles of the people. There are structures, including the historical monuments and buildings that represent the people's culture. On the other hand, nonmaterial heritage, including the language and norms of the people, are central to the way of life of the people. Therefore, language and culture are critical resources in people's lives.

References

Baker, S. & Hesmondhalgh, D., 2013. Creative labor: Media work in three cultural industries. Routledge.

Block, D., 2014. Identity in the social sciences today. In Second language identities (pp.13-53). London. Bloomsbury.

Cantle, T., 2012. Reforming the notion of identity In Interculturalism: The new era of cohesion and diversity (pp.30-52). Basingstoke. Palgrave Macmillan.

Cernea, M.M., 2001. Cultural heritage and development: a framework for action in the Middle East and North Africa. The World Bank.

Gardner, R.C. & Lambert, W.E., 1972. Attitudes and Motivation in Second-Language Learning.

George, A.R., 2003. The Babylonian Gilgamesh epic: introduction, critical edition, and cuneiform texts (Vol. 1). Oxford University Press.

Hoffman, E., 1998. Lost in translation: A life in a new language. London. Vintage. pp.99-108.

Joseph, J.D., 2016. Historical perspectives on language and identity. In Preece, S. (ed). The Routledge Handbook of Language and identity (pp.19-33). Abington, Routledge.

Lahdo, A., 2009. The Arabic Dialect of Tillo in the Region of Siirt:(south-eastern Turkey). Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis.

Pennycook, A., 2009. Linguistic landscapes and the transgressive semiotics of graffiti. In E. Shohamy & G. Gorter (Eds.) Linguistic landscape (pp.302-311). Expanding the scenery. NY & London. Routledge.