“How has language helped you become who you are and how might it be involved in determining who you will be in future?”

The importance of language in one’s life can never be overemphasized. It plays a very important part in one’s development. It is not only key to acquisition of knowledge but is also the main medium of interaction among humans (Rodriguez, 2004, p. 218). Personally language has played a very vital role in me becoming who I am today. It will play a key role in determining who I will become in future. Without language, I could not have gained the knowledge I have gained up to this point in life, and neither could I have established the interactions that I have.

Language is involved in every aspect of my life. Ever since I was young I have been using language to express myself (Rodriguez, 2004, p. 217). This includes telling others how I feel and what I desire. It is through language that people question and understand the world around them. Language facilitates communication and through communication people form bonds and teamwork. Through team work and bonding, I have been able to better myself in several ways and move my life towards acquisition of my dreams.

Other than language playing a key role in getting people to have a common understanding, it also plays a role in causing misunderstanding. Most if not all misunderstandings I have been involved in have something to do with something someone said and I did not like or something I said and other people did not like. People speak many different languages, and this can sometimes lead to a misunderstanding (Ashanti, 2010, p. 110). On the other hand, listening to people speak different languages has enabled me realize that people have different ways of describing the same event or action. In situation where I have tried to visit a foreign culture without first trying to learn a few things about that culture I have found interacting with people from that culture to be difficult. Hence language has played a key role in determining how well I interact with people.

I have found language to be beneficial in almost all circumstances. This includes when I am using it for fun, when I am using it for fun with my friends and even when I am traveling. Through language I have been able to understand that while people from different cultures may appear different they share so many similarities in common (Ashanti, 2010, p. 111). Differences in grammar, alphabet and pronunciations do not necessarily signify differences in concepts. Through language, I have been able to make sense of my experiences, as well as other people’s experiences. Through language, I have been able to learn my culture, as well as those of other people. This has enabled me understand myself and my surroundings better.

Language will play a key role in determining who I will be in future. My career to a large extent depends on language. That explains why learning language is mandatory for students wishing to pursue the same career as me. Employers too have realized how important language is to the success of their establishments (Soons, 2008, p.21). Hence they are giving preference to graduates to who are competent in the various languages they use in transacting business. A person who knows the language of the people he is speaking with understands their needs better than one who has no idea what language they speak.

Language is a tool for establishing not only friendships but also economic relationships. Hence my future economic status to a large extent depends on language. Language also plays a major role in shaping one’s perceptions on what is real and what is not. One’s idea of reality plays a major role in determining what path in life he will take. This is both in terms of career and social interactions. Hence language will to a large extent be involved in determining who I become in the future.