Muhammed Ali Week 1: Language Has a Fearsome Grip on Our Identities

I—like many other habitants of the United States of America—speak the holy language of English. Created in approximately the year 500 CE, English has reigned supreme over the world as the most widely spoken language since the conclusion of World War II, and it gives every indication that it’s here to stay. Since birth, I have been indoctrinated into the American language, as well as many of the practices that come along with it. These practices and cultural elements helped shape who I am today, to a degree. The language we speak differentiates us from others and helps us form our unique identity in various ways.


Language is often a determining factor (at least to an extent) of who we make friends with. We will more naturally resonate with people around us that not only speak a common language, but also speak the same dialect of that language or speak it with a similar accent. All of my friends speak English, but that’s not to say I hate people who don’t speak English. It’s just easier for me to relate to people who I can communicate easily with. 


The movies and TV shows we watch are also heavily influenced by the language we speak. Most people will find it more enjoyable to watch movies that they can understand without reading subtitles. Therefore, most people will gravitate towards movies featuring their first languages. I, for one, intensely dislike watching movies where I have to read the subtitles because the movie is in a language I don't speak. Again, that’s not to say that these are bad films. It just demonstrates that it’s more comfortable for me to watch an English movie. Naturally, I feel a closer connection to those movies because I can understand them.  


Both of these things—as well as many other topics affected by language—directly affect our identity, whether we realize it or not. The friends we hang out with affect how we behave in general and can influence our own personal values as well. The movies we watch have influence on not only us, but the society around us. Because of this, films hold great strength in determining which things are important to us and which things aren’t. There are a great many more topics not listed here related to language that affect our identities, but that doesn’t negate their relevance. Language has a great effect on who we are, and though it may go unnoticed, it is still undoubtedly a factor. 


Languages and Identities

How your friends change your habits - for better and worse - BBC Future

Discover the History of English (for picture)

Comments

  1. Mahesh KarthikeyanSeptember 5, 2023 at 8:12 PM

    Hello Muhammed! The subject matter you chose for your blog is impactful to our past, present, and future. Language has always been a big part of our lives and identity; language is ultimately the deciding factor of what identity you choose to embrace. I agree with your statement that friends are frequently connected by a common language, which can create a powerful bond in terms of similarities in their identities. Friends who share the same language and culture would more easily come to a consensus due to their similar upbringing. The ideas you presented about watching movies in the same language that you speak are quite interesting. Sometimes, I watch movies in different languages to learn about other cultures and learn a little about each language. However, watching movies in languages that I am comfortable with is relaxing. Your blog provides a meaningful view of the degree of impact that language has on our identity.

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  2. Anushka ReddySeptember 6, 2023 at 5:34 PM

    Hi Muhammed! I completely agree that language has a significant impact on how our relationships develop. A shared language can immediately create a feeling of unity and understanding. The statement regarding TV shows and movies is also true. Without the distraction of subtitles, seeing movies in our own language enables us to completely engage with the plot, emotions, and subtleties. However, I also do not mind watching TV shows or movies in other languages as I like to learn about different cultures as well.

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  3. Siddarth KamathSeptember 6, 2023 at 9:55 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Siddarth KamathSeptember 6, 2023 at 9:57 PM

    Hello Muhammed! I found that your beginning paragraph describing English, its history, and its necessity as an important language in the United States is well suited for the introduction of the article. The thought of the long history of the English language to how we speak it every single day and may not value it, helped me think more deeply about the topic and ponder for a bit before continuing. This strategy of starting off with a broad claim, and then diving into example such as the friends you hang out with and the subtitles and the movies, is a great way that kept me engaged and thoughtful of the English language and its clear relation to identity. I loved how through the many examples and the usage of the English language, I was able to find a good definition for the term identity and every step of the way, able to connect it to the intricacies with language. The strong conclusion statement gives us a sense of the persuasion that went over this article and for me at least, gave me the knowledge of the strong link between the two. Overall, this article was persuasive, used examples clearly and effectively, started off in a broad sense making it open before giving the claim at the end of the introduction paragraph, and therefore is a well done article. Keep up the good work!

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  5. Sana ThakkarSeptember 13, 2023 at 5:25 PM

    Hey Muhammad! I also despise watching movies with subtitles. Each language has its own way of expressing a thought, and many times the structure and emotion behind a dialogue cannot be translated via subtitle. The direct translation of some words and phrases are unintelligible. For example, the word “tamasha” in hindi means to create a scene, but its direct translation to english is a “drama or play”. The role of language in our universal

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