The Shape of Language
Project Title: Expository Article
Project Type: Content Writing for Print Marketing
Letter by letter, phonemes constructing morphemes—until snapshots of tangled phrases are formed—the impact of the words we read, hear, and speak leave marks on our lives. Language, similar to most liberal studies, is a form of art. As its most basic constituent, language can be used as a tool for self-expression. We embody ourselves in our language choices in order to best convey our personal thoughts to the rest of the world. In its greatest entity, language can form itself into an unstoppable weapon. Writers often use poems, essays, articles, or fictional works to bring messages about societal flaws to light. Those who learn how to navigate the myriad of possibilities within a given language hold the catalyst for global change. This concept then begs the question, do we shape language or does it shape us?
Most people would prefer to believe that their diction is a reflection of their identity. That notion allows them the comfort of assumed control and uniqueness in their lives. Each person is able to offer a varying perspective of the events surrounding them and articulate those moments according to their particular language preferences. Therefore, it seems to be correct to presume that people are capable of discerning their speech patterns as they see fit in each situation. For example, certain cliques of people in a more vast setting might term their group as friends, while they term the remainder of people as colleagues. That is a pretty typical distinction in regular life. In this sense, people can easily use language to feign emotion or ostracize others. Once that occurs, they leave behind the tool of self-expression through diction and instead, begin to use their language as a weapon.
All of that aside, it is equally likely that our identities reflect the language taught to us during our upbringing and learned in society as we travel through the world. In many ways, we find ourselves subconsciously adding new words and phrases to our repertoire as we come across them. Additionally, there might be certain cultural or religious language choices that we find ourselves naturally inclined to employ. If you take a person and break them down, analyzing their diction, accent, syntax, and semantics you will feasibly be able to determine their place of origin and travel patterns. For example, an American who prefers the term loo as opposed to the term bathroom has probably spent a formidable amount of their younger years in a British environment. That person might not even realize the difference in their word choice until it is pointed out to them. In this sense, their language is shaping them rather than being constructed to fit their situation.
We still leave ourselves to ponder the question of language as a mold to shape us or as a path of self-expression. As a personal challenge, one could take note of their particular speech patterns and how they alter them depending upon the intended audience. Language can transcend generations and preserve parts of culture that could otherwise be lost. On the opposite side of the spectrum, language can shift societal norms to fit within new standards. The most accurate measure might be to consider language as an integral part of our identities that can be enhanced to reflect specific ideas. There is a well-known quote from Tom Stoppard that conveys this concept rather nicely. It goes like this, “Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.”