Language and Identity, Relations and Effects

Man has used language and vocalizations to convey his thoughts, feelings, and desires ever since his first appearance on Earth. And in doing so, he has paved the way for a whole new method of communication and human interaction, but at the same time provided an unintentional method of cultural and national identification. It is no coincidence that so many languages, French, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish to name a few, all have the double definition of nationality as well as a distinct method of communication between certain members of the human race. Language has also been one of the planks of nationalism movements and a cause of border wars throughout the past few centuries, from the German unification movement and wars over the "true owner" of Alsace-Lorraine of the 19th century, to the pan-Arab and Zionist movements of the 20th. Language has become just as much a source of identity as physical traits and religion have been in the past.

But is that to say that the languages one knows automatically places them in a unchangeable mold set for life, one which cannot be reversed? Of course not. People have, and continue to gain access and acquire mastery of languages other than their own, learning 2, 3, sometimes up to 4 or 5 different languages, while at the same time maintaining a clear view of who they are and where they stand on life's greatest issues. Indeed, one of the more favorable, and almost required characteristics of the successful person in the modern, cosmopolitan world of the 21st century is the knowledge of more than one language. This knowledge is used by people of all different types of people in diverse professions, from an French businessman learning Chinese to do trade in Beijing, to a CIA officer acquiring knowledge of Arabic to conduct operations in the Middle East with greater efficiency.

There are some things in life that man can never change. He cannot escape his end, and he cannot alter his beginning. While a person may have the mark of their culture implanted from birth in the form of external looks, religious beliefs, and language, this last mark certainly doesn't have to be the only one of its kind. One can transcend this seemingly impassible canyon, and acquire knowledge of tongues other than their own. As the 21st century unfolds, those who are willing to make this crossing may find success in life more easily, and may become the vanguard to lead man's continuous march into the future.