Multilingualism

language is dying every two weeks. These numbers are quite alarming. Even so, there are people that would argue that a monolingual world would be actually better. These advocates of the monoglot millennium base their opinion in the idea that multilingualism was a curse brought down by God and they believe that a monolingual world would mean peace and less misunderstandings. Crystal argues that this view is quite wrong if we take into account that many monolingual countries have had their share…

What is knowledge? In a layman term, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, knowledge is defined as ‘the fact or condition of having acquired a practical understanding or command of, or competence or skill in a particular subject, language, etc through instruction, study or practice skill or expertise acquired in a certain subject through learning’ (Oxford English Dictionary, 2014 Oxford University Press). On the other hand, in the sociology of knowledge, it is defined as the study of the…

The Disasters of Official English The chinese kid and the kid with the Indian accent play with their classmates, everything seems great, all laughs and smiles. However, these two children can no longer speak to their families from back home; they do not even remember the customs of their culture that they once practiced. These boys feel lost like they do not belong with all of their friends. The chinese kid and the Indian kid came to America with their parents and were forced to assimilate to…

Cross-cultural Analysis of Bilinguals Most of the people who I know in the United States are bilingual, and I think that is a result of the diverse, and multicultural nature of the American society. So, it is quite easy to choose someone, and interview him/her for a cross-cultural analysis. I chose Amandine because she has the most inspiring, and eye-opening experience of all of my bilingual friends. After interviewing her, I knew that we shared similar and different linguistic experiences.…

‘The Summoner’s tale’ and ‘The Pardoner’s tale’ of the Canterbury Tales: Deception in language The Summoner, Friar and Pardoner use deception in their language to deceive the pilgrims. The Oxford English Dictionary (2014a) defines deception as “deliberately causing someone to believe something that is not true, especially for personal gain.” Both ‘The Summoner’s Tale’ and ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’ of the Canterbury Tales question the truthfulness of language. This essay will argue how the language…