The Effects Of Language Tension Between Countries And Culture

Language Tension between Countries and Culture

“Language is power” (LaForest 205). A power that can change throughout time using people and communication. Language helps communicate with other people. Lately, different countries have been learning English to help communicate with one another. As a result, English classes were created. However, is English the way to go? What are the effects of learning English or will English cause tension with other languages?

In the article ‘The Church of Please and Thank You,’ it talks about English is shaping different Asian countries. Julie Traves, “is an editor for ‘The Globe and Mail’” (The Globe and Mail Newspaper) and she went out to interview different EFL teachers about their experience of teaching

Language connects together because they both talk about how language is changing/shaping another culture. Once learning a new language, it’s basically changing your identity, culture, and the way you look at the world. Thus, causes a cultural tension/loss between cultures. In the article ‘Please and Thank You’ by Julie Traves, she describes how English is shaping the cultures in those countries. English has become a way to communicate with foreigners to gain business. However, it can be a way to have less cultural differences. In the article, ‘The Church of Please and Thank You’ by Julie Traves, it talks about how EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers, must drive through the toughness of teaching English in different countries such as Korea, Japan, etc. As a result, foreign students question the importance of learning English and how it affects business. On the other hand, in ‘Undocumented Immigrants,’ it talks about the power of language and how immigrants are alienated for speaking a different language. Both authors argue that language is the basics to one’s identity since its learned in childhood, so if that is degraded then their identity is questioned. For example, there is cultural tension between Spanish and English and Asian languages and English. As well with the discomfort of speaking a different language. For example, in ‘Please and Thank You’ the students that were being taught English didn’t feel the need or didn’t understand the importance of learning English. A teacher name Michelle Szabo, was teaching a class about the importance of English and the students ended up having a huge debate (Traves 106). In ‘Undocumented Immigrants,’ people feel uncomfortable when others talk a different language other than English. People would use derogatory words such as “illegal aliens,” “illegal immigrants,” or “illegals” to describe minorities (LaForest 206).