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The role of language in intercultural communication
Intercultural communication introduction
The role of language in intercultural communication
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Hispanic culture, although mine by birth, was learned rather than passed on. Because I grew up living close to my Argentine grandparents who wanted to Americanize the family from the day they set foot in California, they and my parents applied this philosophy in raising me. They spoke no Spanish to me, but it was something that always fascinated me when I did hear it. The first time Spanish class was offered to me, I was eager to take it. I wanted to improve my understanding of where my family came from and find a link between myself and a multitude of different people. I saw learning Spanish as an opportunity to make a better connection with other cultures, including the one from which half of my family comes. With the Spanish knowledge I
Growing up in a Mexican-American family can be very fun and crazy. Having two different perspectives on two different cultures almost daily really shapes you to become a certain way as you grow up, which is what happened to me. Ever since I was about three months old I have been taking trips to my parents home town for a month time each time we have gone. Practically growing up in both Mexico and the United States for six years has really helped me understand my cultural background and the different parts of my whole culture, such as the food, heritage, language and culture.
From birth the Hispanic heritage has had a strong impact on me. Being raised in a bilingual home and learning Spanish in school, has provided me the advantage to communicate in both languages. Hispanic- Americans can socialize and understand both the English and Spanish community in Florida. Hispanics can also share my language with those of non- Hispanic descent. As I approach my college years and life, I think I will benefit from being bilingual.
On the other hand, Americans are proud of their way of life and they always have the assumption that everyone shares their materialistic values. Language is an important value for the nationalistic identity of a nation. Hispanic culture is the way of life of people from Latin America and Spain, and their main identifying factor is the fact that they speak Spanish as their main language. Therefore, Hispanics are not necessarily Spaniards but other groups like Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans who speak Spanish are also part of this group (Shaw and Dennison 207). American culture, on the other hand, is mainly comprised of the people who speak English as their main dialect.
Since before I was born, my Hispanic heritage played a huge role in who I am and what I have achieved. My great-grandfather immigrated to this country with the desire to provide his family with a better future than his own. My grandpa grew up in Texas on the boarder of Mexico and traveled to Blue Island, Illinois as migrant crop worker. This desire passed down by my grandparents and my great-grandparents has played a tremendous role in propelling me to where I am today. Each generation sought to make the the lives of their children better than their own. My grandma received the opportunity to live in the country of opportunity from her father, and my grandpa paid for my mom to get an education. My mother pushed me to do my best in school and
The term Hispanic is used to describe Spanish speaking natives. Spanish is one of the fastest expanding languages in the world and accounts for 21 different countries as their official language. About half of Hispanics originate in Mexico, and there is a lot diversity within the 21 Hispanics countries, therefore even their own traditions and heritages will be specific to them. It is also important to remember that most Hispanics do not like to be referred to as Hispanic but instead from where they reside; for example, Mexican American and Puerto Rican. Hispanics are very family oriented and they consider the oldest male to be the figure of authority, although when it comes to important decisions, the whole family contributes. Other important
My parents did everything they knew to help my sister and I learn and respect our Mexican culture. Born into American culture but raised by Hispanic parents, often was difficult for me. Since I was little I had to manage and balance two very different cultures at the same time. There were many times while growing up that I encountered complex situations in regards to language, whether to speak Spanish or English and when it was appropriate. I felt a lot of pressure having to act as an interpreter for my parents when we were out in public. At home I was told to speak Spanish so I would not forget, but at school I was taught to only speak English with my teachers and friends. However, when we would go visit family in Mexico, I was expected to only speak in Spanish, since speaking in English in front of family members who only spoke Spanish was seen as disrespectful. So learning two languages has been very beneficial to my life and for my family. By
Many people immigrate to the United States from different countries to begin a better life. Once in the American territory, the first step for success is to learn the English language. Richard Rodriguez, the writer of "Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood" describes the language decisions he faced as a child: "Outside the house was public society; inside the house was private" (16). The English language is the primary language in the United States, and it must be learned to be able to communicate with the public world. The language that we speak at home is considered to be private because it is only used in the presence of the people we feel comfortable with, our family. Families immigrate to the United States from Mexico to find and give their children a better opportunity to succeed. The children of immigrants who have been raised or born in the United States were able to adapt much faster to the English language. The Spanish language, in the case of Mexicans, is part of our origin that most of us inherit from our ancestors although in the United States many, including me, seem to add a new language, which gives us better opportunities.
Throughout the experiences I have been through, such as meeting proud Latin kids in school and reading about the experiences of other Latinos, I am proud to say that I am Puerto Rican. I will teach the future generation about our culture, including traditions and customs. My children may not have the opportunity to read about well-known Latinos in school, but I will make sure they learn about prominent scholars, such as Jose Marti and Rigoberta Menchu. Also, speaking Spanish is very important because our culture is based on the language. After all, one day the official language of Puerto Rico might change to English. However, we can't forget our roots, or where we came from. Even though I was born in America, I am Puerto Rican.
The Hispanic community represents many nationalities and ethnicities, including Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, 15 Central and South American countries, Spain, and the Dominican Republic (Cattan, 1993). Hispanic group are well known in the workforce, politics, education, social economic and religion. The Spanish culture influences a variety of areas such as music, food, language. Most languages are rooted in Latin. It is always good to learn about other cultures if we expect the same consideration when we visit other countries. Differences are what make life interesting. Majority of the United States is built on immigration, which has made this country the most diverse. And the Hispanic group contributes to that diversity.
I think the point at which everything I learned in the course previous to my time in Guanajuato formed from information into knowledge and paved that road for all the rest of my experiences there was during a meeting with some Mexican University of Guanajuato students. One student, who I later came to know as Adán, during our conversation asked our group why we study Spanish. After a few of us gave answers listing our hope to forge friendships with Mexican immigrants in the US or to be able travel in Latin and South America, we were blown away by the answer that Adán believed was the real reason in all of us-to come into their country to dominate and take over. First of all, this blew my mind! I had never thought of that as a motive for learning Spanish, but apparently this Mexican student believed it was Americans' number one reason! After first being appalled at his stereotypes of Americans, I realized that I wanted to uncover the reasons behind this strong and real belief and to change his mind about all Americans being this way.
To start off, the first thing you should know about me is that I come from a big Hispanic family. I would identify this as my culture because it includes a unity that not many other families have. My family is big because my father has nine brothers and sisters. Overtime, his brothers and sisters have had children
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Writing poses as a great challenge for me; I can barely speak coherently with a person one-on-one. Ironically, though I have not mastered the English language, I’m minoring in Spanish. I was not gifted with the greatest linguistic skills, however, I nonetheless still pursue Spanish because I appreciate the Spanish culture and enjoy attempting to perform the accent authentically. I took AP Spanish in high school, received 7 credits by taking the exam, and want to improve my speaking skills and eventually reach a level of fluency.
Second, Spanish opens a learner up to a new culture. Every language originates from a culture. It is a community that comes up with norms and ways of doing things and a mode of communication. Languages are built on cultures. Their articulation and vocabulary revolve around the culture of a people. Spanish is a language used most commonly in Spain and in Europe. With millions of native speakers, it makes it possible for learners to interact with a new culture altogether. Although dialects differ depending on the country, most dominant cu...