“It is crucial to look at different languages. If we restrict our view to just one language--our own--we will never truly understand the distinction between sense and reference, because it is natural to think that ‘our’ way of talking about the world is the only one, or the most natural one. It is only when we study or learn a foreign language, and realize that other people see things differently, that we become aware of how arbitrary the relationship is between words and entities or concepts."
This quote struck a chord with me because it answers part of this larger, worldly, big picture question I have about the way people function. As a sociology major, I have always been interested in people, specifically, individuals and their role in societies and vice versa. The things people are interested in, why they do the things they do, the social institutions and cultures that shape preferences and opinions-these are all topics that I never thought could connect to language. Language is such a powerful tool that I know I take for granted, and though I've always been interested in learning as many words in as many languages as possible, I know I've never taken real initiative to learning and sticking to one particular language. But in reading the quote above, I discovered that I can incorporate my love for studying societies and people into learning (or re-learning/enhancing) Tagalog. Delving into this goal I've made for myself, I feel, will give me a deeper appreciation for my own culture and really understand where I've come from, and where I am today.
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