The Role of Language in forming mindsets.
What's is language?
Imagine for second our ancestors thousands of years ago, they are gathered together with little or no language. They have common experiences and observations and they would like to share these with each other. Then they realise that they need more than just gestures and signs to communicate. They think...mmm...we already communicate our thoughts through sounds, music ...then ping, how about we develop that? Language gets formed and progress from a few sounds to more words then full sentences. The same process a child follows to develop language through observation.
So..what is langauge and what its purpose?
Language is nothing but audible thoughts, through words we capture what we think and Express them audibly to others. This we do to be understood, to avoid ambiguity and to connect with others. We need this because of our innate need to be part of community, to belong.
The purpose of language primarily is to Express thoughts. For a people group language expresses group thinking, codes, morals, values, common course, culture simply language in people group captures and Express their way of life.
With this in mind the second element of language is context, context captures meaning beyond the base definition. However, base definition remains primarily connect to the original intended meaning of the word. Context connects us to the word, creating a personal and group relationship with the word. With a relationship comes emotions, personal interest, purpose. A simple example is a parent calling their child baby, versus a husband calling their wife baby. Another example with a contrasted meaning is guy calling his buddy, dawg and an angry person calling another person dog.
With context the meaning of the word is captured not in the definition, but the intended meaning. Important to note that the full communication cycle is completed when the recipient understands the context.
So what happens when people from various backgrounds come together, using the same language but with different backgrounds?
If it is true that one of, if the primary purpose of language is to capture and Express thoughts as influenced by personal and group contexts, what happens when groups of people who dont speak ech other's backgrounds and language very well come together to build a nation? Is this a realistic and achievable goal?
Stay there for a second?
If it is true that one of, if the primary purpose of language is to capture and Express thoughts as influenced by personal and group contexts, what happens when groups of people who dont speak ech other's backgrounds and language very well come together to build a nation? Is this a realistic and achievable goal?
What happens when these groups of people adopt one language that is foreign to them, and use it communicate their thoughts, still without knowing each other's contexts well? How can they survive the pressure of using a foreign language with it's own context, against their own contexts?
South Africa, can we build something together with this situation
