why is language powerful
Why is Language Powerful? Today, more than ever, language is an integral part of our existence and survival. ... In this age of cellular phones, fax machines and the internet, we use language so much that we usually take the power of language for granted. First of all, are our thought processes directly linked to the words and symbols we call language? Is it possible that language can alter the way we think or even control what we know, and can language reveal our own personal identity? Language can in fact have the ability to do all those things; it can change our values, our identity and even what we can and cannot know. Language can alter the way we think. In "The Two Faces of Language," Lakoff argues that proverbs, tales, and customs of different cultures can greatly affect ones perception about life ("Faces" 125). ... There is no direct translation of their language into any other language, so even the closest possible translation wouldnt sum up what their scriptures really mean. ... Another more specific example of language altering values can be found in the comparison of the English and Chinese language. ... In fact, the Chinese language has different names for every specific aunt or uncle in a family, from an uncles wife to the eldest aunt in a family. ... The value of a label can influence the values of a person, again emphasizing the power that language possesses over a persons thoughts.