Language: a key element to any society. Inside of a language there is a whole network of stories, living tales that pass through generations of families, a rich history that cannot be destroyed, only forgotten. The language, the structure of a society, is dissipating into the past. Communication, the glue which holds a society together, is being lost to the diminishing numbers of Native Americans due to the influence of colonization and government policies. Endangerment of languages exist across North America and continues to be a problem, risking the cultural diversity that the world is composed of. These cultures are struggling to keep their story alive and they must be maintained and encouraged to grow.
One of the most prominent Native American tribes in the United States are the Cherokee Indians. Originally they had a vast territory of land stretching from the Midwest, reaching its boundaries from the Appalachian Mountains to the present day Atlanta, Georgia (Thornton). The word “Cherokee” is derived from a Creek word meaning “people of a different language” (Miller, J). Their language is more properly known as Tsalagi: An Iroquoian language with syllables invented by a native Cherokee (“Native Languages…”). With a staggering estimated population of 370,000 there are only currently 22,000 people that people speak Tsalagi. The number of people learning the Cherokee language has dropped from 75% to almost 5%. (“Native Languages…”). At this rate Tsalagi will soon die out as
The language I choose to write about comes from right here in the United States! Currently it is endangered with about 3,500 speakers and can be classified as Uto-Aztecan It is used amongst an Indian tribe in Utah. Since it is a Native American language, there are major efforts in order to keep it alive and keep it moving from each and every generation. There is currently a Ute Language Policy that highlights laws and regulations that protect the Ute language. In this order there are roman numerals with specific headings that tell you what topic goes with the protection of the language. In the beginning is speaks about the language being integral to their culture; how “the Ute language is a living and vital language that has the ability to
Language is a beautiful tool that can be used to unify or divide. Language brings people together but it can also tear them apart. In “Mute in an English Only World”, Chang-Rae Lee writes about how his mother was impaired from doing simple tasks such as going to the store alone because she could not speak English. Second, in “Lingua Franchise”, by Charles Foran, he shows how English is unifying people across the globe.
In this article, “ From Rez Life: An Indian’s Journey Through Reservation Life,” by David Treuer, he talks about the struggles that Native Americans have gone through. Mr. Treuer brings to the reader’s attention the struggles that most people don’t even realize have happened. Mr. Treuer has one big struggle that is still happening today that needs help to change, which is the lack of Native American language. This is such a high priority struggle due to the fact that without Native American language, there is a loss of heritage.
The English language is particularly complex in almost all aspects. Many of the words in the English language have different meanings for the same word. This is not unlike the definition of the different levels of usage. McCrimmon defines the three levels, formal, moderate, and colloquial, by their sentence structure, diction, and tone (McCrimmon 193). ¹ Using McCrimmon’s definitions, authors can determine what type of writing is applicable to each of the three levels. For the formal writings, an adequate example of where readers can find it is in a professional journal, and an appropriate place to find an example of the moderate level is in a weekly news magazine. Also, the best place to look for an example of the colloquial level is in certain sections of the newspaper. All of the levels of usage apply to these different types of writings and assist in defining what each level involves.
Language is a very import part in our life, we carry it with us through all the steps, processes, moments experiences of our life, language built us and make us grow and the most important thing is that it grows with us, changes, modifies itself, and becomes more appropriate and specific. As we pointed out language help us to create and understand the world around us, gives meaning to everything and gives birth to emotions and feelings; a world without language would be meaningless and very lonely. Language it’s what help us grow up, the more we learn through it, the more we desire to experience and study in deep, leading us to new prospective, opening our mind to more specific and deep concepts, ideas, projects, goals. We really can’t
The film “The Linguists” follows linguists Gregory Anderson and David Harrison on their journey to learn about and document endangered languages in Bolivia, India, Arizona, and Siberia. Through their quest, they are able to interact with some of the few remaining speakers of languages that are near death and they manage to make an impact on how these communities view their heritage language. Focusing on the moribund languages of Siberia and Arizona, it becomes evident that speakers of the heritage language feel a love for the language and the culture it represents, but went through periods of oppression and embarrassment for being speakers of a minority language that ultimately shaped their attitudes on the language.
One famous Indian tribe is the Cherokee. The Cherokee are original residents of the American southwest region, but now they occupy most of Oklahoma.There are three recognized Cherokee tribes. Most Cherokee people speak English today, but many still speak the Cherokee language. Children had jobs to do after school just like men and women had their own jobs. Many Cherokee Indians died when president Andrew Jackson forced them to leave their homes in Georgia. In the following essay I will be talking about the Cherokee life before,during,and after the Westward Expansion.
The question is if the Cherokee language is still alive. Is this language still spoken? Yes, it is. The Cherokee language is classified linguistically as a member of the Iroquoian family, spoken by the Cherokee people, originally inhabiting Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. As a consequence of colonization, however, the Cherokee nation almost suffered destruction during the infamous Trail of Tears, 1838-1839, the forced removal of more than fifteen thousand people. Now, in the twenty-first century, the Cherokee make up one of the biggest Native American tribes within the U.S. with over 300,000 members. Despite their language’s gravely endangered status, they are within the top ten of large groups of indigenous language speakers. However, they had to overcome many struggles. Among members of Cherokee Nation in the northeast of Oklahoma, there are only a few under the age of 40 who can be considered fluent speakers of the Cherokee language (Cherokee Nation, 2003). This survey by the Cherokee Nation was conducted of 115,026 Cherokee citizens who live within the 14 counties of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. Thus, children are not acquiring the language at home as there is a lack of parents being native speakers. Consequently, UNESCO (2003) labels Cherokee as “definitely endangered.” But how come the parents and even the parents of parents do not speak their native tongue anymore? To answer this, one must know
Ken Wiwa presents several ideas pertaining to language and culture within his essay, Get Beyond Babel. Wiwa explains that every language has a chance of dying out over time. For any language to survive through years of societal changes, it must be adapted so it can be used to embrace other cultures, new technology and new perspectives. Wiwa presents the concept that language is the same as culture. I do not agree with this concept because I believe that culture is carried by the people, not by the language.
In this paper the main focus is on the language of the Cherokee. Is the language of the Cherokee, or as they also call it Tsalagi, still alive? Is it still spoken among the members of the tribes, including the younger generations or do they have lost the language of their ancestors? Is there something to be done until it is irretrievably lost? In order to come to a solution on this matter, I will be taking a look at why Native American languages in general have become extinct in the first place. On the example of the Cherokee language a look will be taken at the initiatives set to revive and preserve it in order to prove it is still alive and will continue to be.
In the United States, an emphasize in learning the dominant language, English for example, can inevitably put other languages within the country in extinction. In reality, there are many other spoken languages in the United Sates, like those spoken by Native Americans, that are becoming endangered because of the immensity of more used languages. One may ask, what is an endangered language? According to Michael Cahill (Bonvillain), who has studied and researched many different endangered languages around the world, a language is endangered when "it is in fairly eminent danger of dying out." Cahill states two ways to quickly identify when a language is on its way to becoming endangered. One is when the
Language plays an important role in communication by bringing people together and enriching their relationships. Language can also alienate those who do not speak it properly, or at all, from those who do. The essays, Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan, best known for her book, The Joy Luck Club, and Se Habla Espanol, by Tanya Barrientos, delve into the many powers that language holds. These essays reflect how by not speaking a language in proper form and by not speaking a language at all, affects the lives of the subjects of the stories.
Have to is a non-modal alternative to the modal verb must to talk about obligation.
If I say that I am currently employed with a major petroleum distribution center, you may think that I am a highly qualified person making limitless amounts of money. However, I am using the power of language to merely say that I work at a gas station making minimum wage. Great historical figures throughout history have used the power of language, the ability to use words to their advantage, to inspire people to unite under one common cause and to change the world.
Language is the universal connection that brings all humans together. We share this common ground to communicate. The three major points that I would like to focus on are: How does language influence our culture? Does it define us, or does it refine us? And lastly, the impact that language has on our societies.