I used to think language was simply a form of communication which people use in everyday life. I didn’t find language very fascinating. Now I think language is a fascinating way of expressing peoples’ opinions and ideas, and I now find the topic much more engrossing since there are so many different things that can have an influence on it.
Culture is something that can affect the meaning of a word or phrase. A certain word might have a completely different significance in another country. Facial expressions are another example that can change a context. If someone says “Oh, great!” with a smile on their face, this would mean that he or she is happy or satisfied, whereas if they said the same thing but with a frown or frustrated look on their face, it would mean that they are unhappy or displeased.
I also find this line, “when a language dies, we lose the possibility of a unique way of perceiving and describing the world” very intriguing. I highly agree with this line because every language does have its own unique technique of expressing their perspective of the world. This is why we should preserve languages and try and prevent languages becoming extinct.
After reading some given texts, I now have much more interest in language. I used to think it was dull and boring, now I believe that it is a very fascinating way of sharing thoughts and ideas with people around the world.