Language culture and identity essay

Language, culture and identity are closely interrelated and none of them can be available in the absence of the other two. One way to look at this is by looking at how it is through language that a group of people shares ideas and beliefs leading to the formation of a culture unique to them (Feuer, 2008). Language is actually also considered as part of a community’s culture as it is unique to them and forms part of their shared characteristics. Identity on its part is derived from the culture of an individual. Personal identity makes one unique even to members of his or her own community but the strong role culture plays in this identity cannot be ignored. With time the immigrants embraced new integrated cultural practices which drained their own native norms and taboos, thus creating new cultural practices (Hall, 2014).

The wide spread use of English was due to the pride of their Native American language speakers. Cultural Aspects Linking the three Factors One link between culture and language is in naming of children who are born into a community. Different cultures use their naming systems to present different ideas. Whatever name an individual gets in their community, it is created through their language. For example, Native Americans form different tribes that have different ancestral names which separate them. In addition, land was also shared among members of the community (culture) and outsiders who could be identified by their different language, different identity and different culture were prohibited from taking land in a closed community. Theories Supporting the Link between Language, Culture and Identity There are a number of theories that support the arguments of this paper including the cultural identity theory and Gidden’ theory of structuration.