Identity, Language, and Culture: A Critical Analysis

This assignment delves into the intricacies of identity, language, and culture, examining the relationships between them. It discusses acculturation strategies and how instructors play a crucial role in maintaining linguistic, cultural, and social identities among students. The assignment also touches on the significance of language in everyday life, highlighting different kinds of identity such as ethnic, cultural, social, and national. It emphasizes the importance of understanding these complexities to create inclusive educational environments.

Linguistics - Language, Culture
and Identity

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Linguistics is the research of human speech including the nature, modifications, units and
modifications of language etc (Auer, 2013). The scientific report of language and its structure,
considering the learning of syntax, phonetics and grammar is considered under this. Particular
subdivision of linguistics includes dialectology, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, comparative
linguistics, computational linguistics and structural linguistics. In simple words, it can be
identified as the systematic or scientific study of communication to express, emotions,
hypotheses desire and other expressing requirement. It is a research in the sense that it
scientifically investigates the principles, systems and rules of people languages. This report is
based on identity, culture, language and role of pedagogy. This essay is divided into different
parts which cover concept of identity, role of language in group of contact, speech
accommodation, language identity and role of instructors in maintaining linguistic, cultural and
social identity amongst students. Main purpose of this report is to determine the social, national,
ethnic, cultural of individual and acculturation strategies such as integration, separation,
assimilation and marginalization.
MAIN BODY
Different identities, language and role of pedagogy
Identity is the personality, beliefs, qualities, expression and looks that make an individual
or group. It is divided into different parts which are essential for them to recognise their cultural,
national, ethnic and social identity. It is fundamental for a person because with the help of this,
they can easily recognise its strength. Along with this, language is also a main part for the
success and development of individual in the different places. Language is fundamentally a
communication system where sign convey objects or sound, ideas and actions. It is an
extraordinary gift of god which is essential for the person to make their identity at different
place. In simple word, it refers to storing and forming ideas as consideration of actuality and
exchanging them in the activity of person intercourse. It is social by nature and therefore,
inseparably attached with large number of person including its users and creators. It develops
and grows together with the welfare and development of society (Chew, 2017). Apart from the
pedagogy, it is the discipline that deals with the practices and theory of teaching and how it
effects student learning. Main role of pedagogy is to inform instructor actions, teaching strategies
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and judgement by taking thought learning theories, knowing of students and their interests,
background and needs (Dervin, 2012). There are different types of identities which are having
each and every person or student. Some are determined as under:
Cultural Identity is identified as a better relationship between the member of a group and
individuals who share a common language, history and a similar mode of understanding
globally. In addition, it is the feeling or identity of belonging to a member of group. Cultural
identity a section of an individual's self perception and conception and is mainly related to
locality, generation, social class, religion, ethnicity, nationality and any type of social group that
has their own distinct culture. In case of student in which each and every learner present to the
classroom with a set of characteristics and behaviours that makes her or him unique. It will
affects he or she academic achievement. Learner may identity with few groups because of
religion, social class and race. These concepts are certain of the social structure of culture; they
give a cognisance of cultural identity. In order to increase academic success, pedagogue can
follow data regarding cultural identity to develop learning surround that know the cultural
contribution of scholar.
Ethnic Identity is defined as a relationship between the persons and number of the group
to which the individual belongs (Ethnic Identity, 2018). Beside this, ethnicity that may be
thoughtful spatially cultural and located entity. It refers to individual sense of belonging and
happiness to an ethnic group as well as the aspect of persons behaviour, thinking, feeling and
perception with the effect of ethnic group membership. This study analyse ethnic identity
commitment and search, the significance of ethnicity as an individuality problem and
relationship of ethnic personality to self-esteem among learners or students. An ethnic unit is
often a distinct class of the population in a bigger society with a various culture (Dervin &
Liddicoat, 2013). Cultural groups and distinct ethnic were recorded by Herodotus about 2500
years ago.
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Illustration 1: Ethnic Identity
(Source: Ethnic Identity, 2018)
From the above mentioned graph it has been determined the relationship that present
between a group and an individual with whom the one's believes his or her has common
ancestry. It is mainly based on shared persons sociocultural experiences, individual
characteristics, or both. Thus, ethnic identification can present at the family, individual or group
level.
National identity mainly links people to a home country. In simple word, it is a sense of
belonging and identity to single state or to one country. (Duff, 2013). It is the awareness of a
country as a cohesive entire, as described by distinctive traditions, politics, language and culture.
Social identity: It is the relationship between individual and the larger world. Hence
student can easily and it is related to identifying of the persons as compared to other persons. For
example there is a person living in Canada who belongs to Asian religion is their identity.
Different duties the person is performing realizes their overall identity.
It can provide people with sense of self esteem and a method of socializing and it can
influence the behaviour of persons. It also favours the members of their group regardless of
whether assignment was based on flimsiest commonality or was arbitrary. It also affects the the
methods through which other person treat the Canadian student.
Gender identity is between ages of two and three different firms of identity continue to
evolve throughout person's life (Heller, 2011). For example A lawyer is there who is specialized
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in corporate laws and they switches to divorce law can change their social identity from
corporate lawyer to divorce lawyer (Kinginger, 2013). In the adolescence persons undergoes the
process of social identity. New hairstyles and forms, music preferences, tattoos and various
forms of dress in which teenagers try to fit in group or take decision which group is appropriate
for them.
Canadian student wants that they can fit with their own friends and they can maintain
their individuality and have self esteem so that student can resist anything that violates their own
values or those related with family.
Social identity theory was developed to describe different individuals create and defining
their places in society. Three psychological methods are important and they are described below:
Social categorization is the tendency of people to perceive themselves and other people
in terms of social categories. For example Canadian student can thought of certain person Jane as
lawyer or feminist etc.
Social comparison is the process in which people determines the relative value or social
standing of a particular group and their members. For example school teachers have higher social
standing than garbage collectors.
Social identification: It shows the notion that people generally do not perceive social
situations and their senses of who they are and the methods through which they relate to other
individuals and groups around them.
Ethical identity as social identity:
Ethical identity is the identification of person related with a social objective that us
education, healthcare and social work. It must be true to the religious objective.
Self image includes the personal identity and social identity. Social identity is that part of
a person's self concept which derives from their membership in social groups.
Person's culture, caste, religion and creed affects the Canadian student. Ethical identity
consists of the religion caste and culture and the methods through which they can affect the
person. Both ethnic and social identity care important for person (Kramsch, 2013).
Canadian student is affected by their caste, religion and culture and they are also affected
by their group members and their friends. Hence social and ethical identity are related to each
other. This is an important method and they can affect the Canadian student.
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Through this Canadian student can perform activities in effective manner. They
influences their behaviour and activities. Hence they can perform tasks in proper and crucial
manner (Lin, 2013).
This helps the person in performing tasks and activities. Both ethical and social identity
are related with each other as both are important for Canadian student and both influences the
behaviour and attitude of the Canadian student.
Role of language in groups of contact:
Acculturation: It is the method in which a person changes from culture to another
culture. It is open to the minorities as compared to majorities. Hence various problems and issues
are faced by the Canadian student and hence they create various strategies and policies so that
they can easily transfer from culture to another culture. There are four acculturation strategies
which are described below:
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From the above image it is interpreted that Integration has high identification with
heritage culture and high identification with US culture. Assimilation strategy has low
identification with heritage culture and high identification with US culture. Separation strategy
has high identification with heritage culture and low identification with US culture.
Marginalization strategy has low identification with heritage culture and low identification with
US culture.
Integration: It is the method and process in which all people retain the identity and
integrity but at same time they participate in wider group. It consists of the persons to maintain
their heritage culture, and interact with new culture are included in these category. They can
easily interact with any other person (Lippi-Green, 2012). This is an effective strategy in which
student do not loose their identity and can participate in the group.
Assimilation: It consists of those persons who do not consider the culture and origin
very important and they want to identify and communicate with the new culture, beliefs and
values. Hence this is known as assimilation strategy. For example a person belongs to Punjabi
culture wants to transfer to Hindu religion and culture, then in this condition person can follow
the assimilation strategy.
Separation: It is an effective strategy in which people values their heritage culture and
they do not want to learn about new culture adopt this strategy. This is also adopted by many
persons. For example many people who want to values their own beliefs and culture and do not
want to learn about new culture can easily adopt this strategy. A person belongs to Christian
religion and they do not want to learn the new culture. Hence they do not want to enter into new
religion and can easily perform activities in effective manner.
Marginalization: It is the effective process in which there ius no identification of theur
heritage culture and nor with new culture follow the marginalization strategy. It is a completely
different strategy as compared to other policies and strategies. For example there is a person who
belongs to Muslim culture and they do not believe this culture and they also do not want to learn
about new religion and culture. So the person follows the marginalization strategy.
Canadian student can follow the assimilation strategy and want to enter in new culture.
The learner wants that they are identified by a new religion and culture they want to enter and
they do not want to focus on the religion and caste which they belong to (McKinney & Norton,
2011).
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Language and identity:
Language is related with individual person's identity to his collective social identity. The
Canadian student speaks the particular language and they also learn that language from their
social members and their group (Norton, 2013). There are different reasons that language is
related to both personal and social identity. They are described below:
Language is important for naming the person and world. Language helps in giving the
identity to a particular person and hence person is identified by their language in the world.
Hence it is important that person speaks a particular language so that they can be identified with
that language and culture. This is important in life of a particular person.
Upbringing of a particular child completely depends on the linguistic interaction.
Children speaks the ,language spoken by their parents and relatives as they learn from them only.
Hence it is crucial that parents and their relatives ciomnmun9icates with that child in that
language which they want to learn the child. Hence it is crucial that parents evaluates their
language and communicate properly with the child so that they can easily learn it. This also
helps in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the children. Through this there is good
upbringing of child.
Spoken language is salient characteristic of ethnic group. It is the most important feature
in a particular person's life and hence they can easily interact with each other. With proper
language any person cannot interact with another person. It also helps a person in determining
their personal and social identity. As a result person can easily communicate with others and can
explain all views and opinions. Without a proper and effective language they cannot describe
their opinions and hence there is miscommunication between all people.
Hence it is very important that person speaks a particular language and they can easily
explain their views and opinions to all people. Hence it is important that person speaks a
language and they are identification with that language. It also help Canadian student in
determining their personal and social identity.
Language identity and speech accommodation:
Speech convergence: It is an effective and efficient method in which speakers want to
become like their listeners in their speech style (Park & Wee, 2013). This is a different concept
and its means the language change in which language resemble one another due to language
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contact and mutual interference (Pennycook, 2017). It occurs due to diffusion and spread from
language to another. Different types of speech styles are:
Frozen style: It is used generally in formal sitting. It do not need the feedback from the
audience. It uses long sentences with good grammar and vocabulary. Use of language is fixed
and static. For example it is used in marriage ceremonies, nation anthem etc.
Formal style: Speakers have to create full sentences and it is rigid. It must be agreed
upon a vocabulary that is well documented. For example meetings, speeches, school lessons,
courts etc.
Canadian student can follow the formal style which they can learn from the listeners.
Speech maintenance:
It is the process in which Canadian student can follow the speech style. They have to
maintain the speech style and do not changes it continuously. Through this they can properly
interact with other persons. It directly increase the efficiency and effectiveness level of the
person. Hence they can easily interact with other people and can maintain good image in front of
all people.
Speech divergence: It is the technique and method in which there is creation of all
strategies and policies so that they can reduce the differences between a person with that other
individuals.
Communication accommodation theory is a theory which is related with reduction in
language barriers. The people can perceive other people in an effective and efficient manner. It
emphasis on intergroup and interpersonal attributes that results in accommodation and the
methods of micro and macro environment can affect the communication behaviour.
There are different assumptions of this theory. It is described below:
There are speech and behavioural similarities as similarities in all conversations.
These methods a person perceive the speech and behaviour of other person determines the
evaluation of the conversation.
There are different norms which helps in accommodation process and it varies with the
degree in appropriateness.
Role of instructors in maintaining social, linguistic and cultural identity amongst students:
Instructor performs various activities so that they can maintain social, linguistic and
cultural identity among all persons (Richards & Schmidt, 2013). It is important so that they can
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easily interact with other and there are no differences between the religion, caste, culture etc.
Role of instructor is described below:
Instructor enhance the classroom activities so that all people can understand the language
and culture of minorities (Tsui, & Tollefson, 2017). It helps in promoting diversity in classes.
Hence Canadian student can participate in all activities and interact with minority person also so
that they can understand the language spoken by minority person.
It also promotes the intercultural language learning in which a leaner can understand the
language of themselves and then they have knowledge of language of another individual. It is
crucial so that person can understand and have knowledge of their language. Hence they can
easily have knowledge spoken by another person.
It also helps in Promoting an active construction of one's own culture and language.
Thus own language can developed in an effective and efficient manner. This also helps the
person to have knowledge about their language and they can develop it in effective manner.
Through this they can easily promote their language and culture.
It also encourage and support students to make connection between first language, new
experience, previous experience and intercultural self. Hence learner can easily connect each
their language and can gain new experience of instruct perform different functions. This helps
the person to remind of their existing language and can easily learn about new language. This
helps the person to promote their own culture (Wyman, McCarty & Nicholas, 2013). Hence it
very important that student can learn from instructor so that they can gain distinct experience. It
leads to growth and development of the Canadian student.
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned report it has been concluded that language is more essential
and important aspect for each and every person. It help people to easily communicate all
information in the group as well as achieve their personal and professional goal. Language is
more significant to every scene and interaction in person everyday lives. There are different
kinds of identity such as ethnic, cultural, social and national are determine the culture and
language of people. There mainly four acculturation strategies that opens to minorities in
contract with majorities including marginalization, separation, assimilation and integration.
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Beside this, instructors play important role in maintaining linguistic, cultural and social identify
amongst student.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Auer, P. (Ed.). (2013). Code-switching in conversation: Language, interaction and identity.
Routledge.
Chew, P. G. L. (2017). Remaking Singapore: Language, culture, and identity in a globalized
world. In Language policy, culture, and identity in Asian contexts (pp. 83-104).
Routledge.
Dervin, F. (2012). Cultural identity, representation and othering. The Routledge handbook of
language and intercultural communication. 2. 181-194.
Dervin, F., & Liddicoat, A. J. (Eds.). (2013). Linguistics for intercultural education (Vol. 33).
John Benjamins Publishing.
Duff, P. A. (2013). Identity, agency, and second language acquisition. In The Routledge
handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 428-444). Routledge.
Heller, M. (2011). Paths to post-nationalism: A critical ethnography of language and identity.
Oxford University Press.
Kinginger, C. (Ed.). (2013). Social and cultural aspects of language learning in study abroad
(Vol. 37). John Benjamins Publishing.
Kramsch, C. (2013). Culture in foreign language teaching. Iranian Journal of Language
Teaching Research. 1(1). 57-78.
Lin, A. M. (Ed.). (2013). Problematizing identity: Everyday struggles in language, culture, and
education. Routledge.
Lippi-Green, R. (2012). English with an accent: Language, ideology and discrimination in the
United States. Routledge.
McKinney, C., & Norton, B. (2011). An identity approach to second language acquisition. In
Alternative approaches to second language acquisition (pp. 85-106). Routledge.
Norton, B. (2013). Identity and language learning: Extending the conversation. Multilingual
matters.
Park, J. S. Y., & Wee, L. (2013). Markets of English: Linguistic capital and language policy in a
globalizing world. Routledge.
Pennycook, A. (2017). The cultural politics of English as an international language. Routledge.
Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. W. (2013). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied
linguistics. Routledge.
Tsui, A. B., & Tollefson, J. W. (Eds.). (2017). Language policy, culture, and identity in Asian
contexts. Routledge.
Wyman, L. T., McCarty, T. L., & Nicholas, S. E. (Eds.). (2013). Indigenous youth and
multilingualism: Language identity, ideology, and practice in dynamic cultural worlds.
Routledge.
Online
Ethnic Identity. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ethnic-identity/>.
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