Harking back to the earliest forms of civilization, language has been a vital tool that goes beyond mere forms of expression. This is a pertinent subject that has encompassed class, gender, race, and many other social dispensations.
In an increasingly globalized society, the aspect of multilingualism is a vital tool that shapes how people connect with diverse communities, understand their heritage, and even engage in modern digital experiences like iGaming.
For example, large online casino platforms like Vulkan Bet cater to a wide international audience by offering their array of services in multiple languages. In this article, we explore how speaking multiple languages affects identity and is a reflection of one’s culture or cultural values.
Linguistic Expression as a Carrier of Values and Beliefs
Valuable cultural ethos, such as our feelings towards ourselves, our communities, our society, and our ethnic and national identities, are deep constructs that are woven with the threads of culture and belonging.
With linguistic expression, we get the freedom to understand the cultural, societal, and linguistic diversity of other people or communities. As inhabitants of a pluralistic world, it is imperative that we work together to embrace a shared world of diverse languages and cultures within the broader multilingual paradigm.
Many current cultures are embedded in abstract concepts that can easily be understood and embraced by diversifying our language abilities. This is because many societies consider verbal communication as an indispensable modus operandi.
While our self-identity is often pegged on how we represent ourselves to the world in social situations, this identity may also be fuelled by our interactions with other people in society. These interactions depend on language, which in turn infers that a key part of our identity will be triggered by how many languages we get to communicate in.
Multilinguals get to express themselves in different languages. Through the careful practice of these divergent forms of expression, there are specific cultural aspects that you get to pick up.
Users of different linguistic mediums understand that in the process of learning these communication forms, they get to intuitively understand the prevailing cultures behind these languages. It is sort of curating different identities for oneself through different societal dispensations.
Language’s Pivotal Role in Social Interactions
One of speech’s fundamental roles is conveying meaning across different specters, communities, and societies in general. Through the careful utilization of language, people get to share their cultural experiences, link the past to the future, and resolve any problems that may come up, as they usually do in any communal setting.
With the mastery of different languages, people expose themselves to different and wider social interactions. For instance, some ethnicity-based differences may become apparent in our way of communication, particularly through various speech dialects.
From the context of ethnolinguistic diversity, this may profoundly impact how certain tasks are carried out based on the perception of the information by the recipient.
Perks of Multilingualism
While it isn’t easy to adapt to different communication styles, given that many people speak one language their entire lives, there are a lot of perks that come with being multilingual. These include:
- Enhanced cultural awareness: People who speak multiple languages often tend to be more culturally woke as compared to those brought up with one tongue;
- Open-mindedness: In a vastly interconnected world, being multilingual is an added advantage that will make it easier for one to build connections and seamlessly integrate into different societies;
- Multilingualness also gives people a wider perspective of the world. For example, if a person is an English speaker but also knows French, he or she can gain a deeper perspective of French culture through communicating in French.
Drawbacks of Multilingualism
While there are significant perks to be drawn from being able to speak more than one language, there are also some pertinent drawbacks that, more often than not, are swept under the carpet. For some, this gift may also come as a curse, as they inadvertently end up questioning who they really are, a sort of identity crisis.
From the moment you pick up German, for instance, as an English native speaker, you are no longer just English. You also have a part of you that is German. In some cases, this may lead to people dissociating from their culture, and instead lean to other societies.
More Positives Than Drawbacks
The main appeal of multilingualism lies in the fact that it has more positives than it does negatives. This interesting form of communication brings forth benefits, lots of questions, and struggles. That said, it is a worthy investment of time and should ultimately help you to tap into the diversified cultures around us.
