Ability to think and express ideas with the help of language is a stunning feature of humans; it unites people in numerous ways. Without communication, there would be no humanity. Even the simplest task would turn into a nightmarish problem if one could not share his thoughts and ideas with another person. Language is a tool for establishment and maintenance of social relations. In any culture around the world, every family is waiting passionately for their child to utter the first word. Every family remembers the word their baby uttered first. Words that the infant hears before it can speak matter much in every community. There are cultures where a baby would hear certain words from Quran, and there are other cultures where babies hear words of love when they are born to this world. Thus, any person from the first moments of his/her life falls under the influence of a language before he/she knows it.
Language serves as a wall of misunderstanding that stands between different nations and cultures. Sometimes it seems impossible to overcome for a person who moves to another country. However, as the right key opens the door to a room full of treasures, a well-learned language and culture of the other nation can do wonders and open a new beautiful world to a person. It is worth mentioning that sometimes the key to understanding a different culture lies in learning the language of its people. Any language is a treasure trove of proverbs, folk wisdom and folklore, the wisdom of the ancients, legends, fairytales and cultural assets of the nation.
Language that people speak forms the way they see the world, the way they think, and the way they live their life. This is one of the main reasons why people who speak different languages think in different ways. Furthermore, learning a new language alters the usual way of thinking. Different languages require different pronunciation skills, way of thinking and intellectual patterns from a person even regardless of the language he/she needs to express the same information in. It means that the speaker’s pattern of thinking will be different every time he/she speaks different language. This will lead to the change in his/her perception of the world. Russian, Turkish, Indonesian and English people speak different languages, which is the main reason for them to have distinct differences in their national mentality, pattern of thinking and way of life. If every culture paid attention to the same things, it would never be difficult to learn a foreign language. In reality, a person has to learn a new set of distinctions if he/she wants to master a foreign language because it is more than a list of words and grammar rules. People who speak different languages have to encode strikingly different word aspects to be able to use their language appropriately.
Different concepts and notions are rendered in a number of various ways in different languages, and sometimes the discrepancies in the interpretation of the same notion are striking. For instance, the notion of time is present in every language. That said, its perception differs from one corner of the world to another. For English people, it is a common thing to talk about duration through the prism of length. People tend to say that they had “a long flight”, took part in “a short meeting” or had “a short chat with a friend”. In Spain and Greece, things are different, and people there measure time by its amount rather than length. People use words like “much”, “little” and “big” when they speak about time (Boroditsky 34).
The notion of gender of nouns is of great importance in every language. Indeed, if a word is of masculine gender, people are likely to describe it with corresponding masculine features. For example, if one asks a German to describe a key, which is masculine in German, such adjectives as “hard”, “strong” and “useful” are most likely to be uttered. If a Spanish person describes the same key, the adjectives would be “shiny”, “tender” and “elegant” because the word key is feminine in Spanish (Boroditsky 3). That is how even one notion of a noun gender can have an enormous effect on the nation’s perception of the world and lead to development of the unique way of thinking, uncharacteristic of any other nation or culture.
If one looks at famous paintings in an art gallery, he/she will be able to see that the universal images of justice, death, victory, love, sin and so on are depicted as male or female based on the fact what gender these words had in the artist’s native language. This is true for most cases in any form of art. If gender is applicable to any noun of the language, it influences the way people perceive anything that they can describe with a noun. This way language shapes the way a person thinks, the way he/she sees the world and the way he/she lives their life. It is the central element of everyone’s experience of being a human. There are also categories of nouns in every language that determine the cultural development of the language over the centuries. This refers to names. They carry historic value through the centuries to the new generations.
Culture influences language directly, openly and strongly, whereas the language, in its turn, influences culture indirectly and subconsciously. Any language intertwines deeply with the value and structural system of the society it is spoken in. With the help of the language a person speaks, one can not only determine his nationality, but also his position in society. People do not use the same language in different situations. Language is variable and it depends on social background, sphere of work and activity of the person, his income level, religious beliefs and priorities. Thus, language of a given individual is a peculiar and unique thing.
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Over time, society formed certain norms for language usage. There is certain language used in business that differs from that of medicine, law or engineering. Criminal world has its own language as well. There are taboos, euphemisms and curse words in the language, the usage of which is strictly controlled by society. Solidarity or group identity is expressed with the help of language; it shows how to distinguish between insiders and outsiders and tell friends from foes. In small groups of people, like peers, roommates, co-workers, couples and families, language gains an inflection of the experience and interests of the group (Wolfram and Schilling-Estes 17). In the workplace, people tend to develop a jargon, which is shorthand that allows them to impress or mystify the outsiders efficiently (Chaika 13). In two-person conversation, language relieves the social subordination of the speakers in the way they talk to each other and address one another; it shows who takes charge and who plays a subordinate role.
Society is a complex integrated system that functions on the basis of numerous factors. Language, as a tool of communication, is one of the most influential ones. It plays a great role in social grouping in a community. It influences individuals and groups, shows a person’s status in society and relieves a person’s background. Society defines language usage based on a person’s gender, age, social status, sphere of activity and ethnic background. Cultural complexity, contact and conflict shape the language as a social and cultural phenomenon.
Uwezo wa kufikiri na kueleza mawazo kwa msaada wa lugha ni sifa ya ajabu ya wanadamu; inawaunganisha watu kwa njia nyingi. Bila mawasiliano, hakungekuwa na ubinadamu. Hata kazi rahisi zaidi ingeweza kugeuka kuwa tatizo la kutisha ikiwa mtu hangeweza kushiriki mawazo na mawazo yake na mtu mwingine. Lugha ni chombo cha kuanzisha na kudumisha mahusiano ya kijamii. Katika kila utamaduni, kila familia inangoja kwa hamu mtoto wake atoe neno la kwanza. Kila familia hukumbuka neno ambalo mtoto wao alilosema kwanza. Maneno ambayo mtoto husikia kabla ya kusema yana maana sana katika kila jamii. Kuna tamaduni ambapo mtoto husikia maneno fulani kutoka kwa Qur'ani, na kuna tamaduni nyingine ambapo watoto husikia maneno ya upendo wanapozaliwa. Kwa hivyo, mtu yeyote kutoka wakati wa kwanza wa maisha yake huanguka chini ya ushawishi wa lugha kabla ya kuijua. Lugha ni kama ukuta wa kutokuelewana unaosimama kati ya mataifa na tamaduni tofauti. Nyakati nyingine inaonekana kuwa vigumu kwa mtu anayehamia nchi nyingine kushinda hali hiyo. Hata hivyo, kama vile ufunguo sahihi unavyofungua mlango wa chumba chenye hazina, lugha na utamaduni wa taifa lingine unaofundishwa vizuri unaweza kufanya maajabu na kufungua ulimwengu mpya mzuri kwa mtu. Ni muhimu kukumbuka kwamba nyakati nyingine ufunguo wa kuelewa utamaduni tofauti uko katika kujifunza lugha ya watu wake. Lugha yoyote ni hazina ya mithali, hekima ya watu na hadithi za watu, hekima ya watu wa kale, hadithi, hadithi za hadithi na mali za kitamaduni za taifa. Lugha inayotumiwa na watu hufanyiza jinsi wanavyoona ulimwengu, jinsi wanavyofikiri, na jinsi wanavyoishi. Hii ni moja ya sababu kuu kwa nini watu wanaozungumza lugha tofauti hufikiri kwa njia tofauti. Isitoshe, kujifunza lugha mpya hubadili njia ya kawaida ya kufikiri. Lugha tofauti zinahitaji ujuzi tofauti wa matamshi, njia ya kufikiri na mifumo ya kiakili kutoka kwa mtu hata bila kujali lugha anahitaji kuelezea habari sawa. Hii inamaanisha kuwa mtindo wa kufikiri wa msemaji utakuwa tofauti kila wakati anapoongea lugha tofauti. Hii itasababisha mabadiliko katika mtazamo wake wa ulimwengu. Watu wa Urusi, Uturuki, Indonesia na Kiingereza wanazungumza lugha tofauti, ambayo ni sababu kuu kwa ajili yao kuwa na tofauti tofauti katika akili yao ya kitaifa, muundo wa kufikiri na njia ya maisha. Ikiwa kila utamaduni ungejali mambo yaleyale, haingekuwa vigumu kamwe kujifunza lugha ya kigeni. Kwa kweli, mtu lazima ajifunze seti mpya ya tofauti ikiwa anataka kuweza lugha ya kigeni kwa sababu ni zaidi ya orodha ya maneno na sheria za sarufi. Watu wanaozungumza lugha tofauti-tofauti wanapaswa kuandika mambo tofauti-tofauti ya maneno ili waweze kutumia lugha yao ifaavyo. Mawazo na maneno tofauti-tofauti yanafafanuliwa kwa njia mbalimbali katika lugha mbalimbali, na nyakati nyingine kutoelewana katika tafsiri ya neno moja ni jambo la kushangaza. Kwa mfano, wazo la wakati lipo katika kila lugha. Hata hivyo, maoni yake hutofautiana kutoka sehemu moja ya ulimwengu hadi nyingine. Kwa watu wa Kiingereza, ni jambo la kawaida kuzungumza juu ya muda kupitia prism ya urefu. Watu huwa wanasema kwamba walikuwa na "ndege ndefu", walishiriki katika "mkutano mfupi" au walikuwa na "mazungumzo mafupi na rafiki". Katika Hispania na Ugiriki, mambo ni tofauti, na watu huko hupima wakati kwa kiasi chake badala ya urefu. Watu hutumia maneno kama <unk>mengi<unk>, <unk>ndogo<unk> na <unk>kubwa<unk> wanapozungumza juu ya wakati (Boroditsky 34). Wazo la jinsia ya majina ni muhimu sana katika kila lugha. Kwa kweli, ikiwa neno ni la jinsia ya kiume, yaelekea watu litamfafanua kwa sifa za kiume zinazolingana. Kwa mfano, ikiwa mtu anamwomba Mjerumani aeleze ufunguo, ambao ni wa kiume katika Kijerumani, sifa kama vile <unk>hard<unk>, <unk>strong<unk> na <unk>useful<unk> zina uwezekano mkubwa wa kutamkwa. Ikiwa mtu wa Kihispania anaelezea ufunguo huo huo, sifa zitakuwa <unk>shiny<unk>, <unk>tender<unk> na <unk>elegant<unk> kwa sababu neno ufunguo ni la kike katika Kihispania (Boroditsky 3). Hivyo, hata wazo moja la jinsia ya jina linaweza kuwa na athari kubwa juu ya mtazamo wa taifa la ulimwengu na kusababisha maendeleo ya njia ya kipekee ya kufikiri, isiyo ya taifa lingine lolote au utamaduni. "Ikiwa mtu ataangalia michoro maarufu katika nyumba ya sanaa, ataweza kuona kwamba picha za ulimwengu wa haki, kifo, ushindi, upendo, dhambi na kadhalika zinaonyeshwa kama ""wanaume"" au ""wanawake"" kulingana na jinsi maneno haya yalivyokuwa katika lugha ya asili ya msanii." Hii ni kweli kwa kesi nyingi katika aina yoyote ya sanaa. Kama jinsia inatumika kwa jina lolote la lugha, inaathiri jinsi watu wanavyoona chochote wanachoweza kuelezea kwa jina. Lugha huunda jinsi mtu anavyofikiri, jinsi anavyoona ulimwengu na jinsi anavyoishi maisha yake. Ni sehemu kuu ya uzoefu wa kila mtu wa kuwa binadamu. Pia kuna makundi ya majina katika kila lugha ambayo huamua maendeleo ya kitamaduni ya lugha kwa karne nyingi. Hilo linarejelea majina. Zina thamani ya kihistoria kwa karne nyingi kwa vizazi vipya. Utamaduni huathiri lugha moja kwa moja, waziwazi na kwa nguvu, wakati lugha, kwa upande wake, huathiri utamaduni kwa njia isiyo ya moja kwa moja na isiyo ya fahamu. Lugha yoyote huunganishwa sana na thamani na mfumo wa muundo wa jamii inayozungumzwa. Kwa msaada wa lugha ambayo mtu anazungumza, mtu hawezi tu kuamua utaifa wake, bali pia cheo chake katika jamii. Watu hawatumi lugha ileile katika hali tofauti-tofauti. Lugha ni tofauti na inategemea asili ya kijamii, uwanja wa kazi na shughuli ya mtu, kiwango chake cha mapato, imani za kidini na vipaumbele. Hivyo, lugha ya mtu fulani ni jambo la pekee na la kipekee. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Kufanya kazi kwa haraka na kwa bidii"" ni njia ya kuunda kanuni za kawaida za lugha." Kuna lugha fulani inayotumiwa katika biashara ambayo inatofautiana na ile ya tiba, sheria au uhandisi. Ulimwengu wa uhalifu pia una lugha yake mwenyewe. Kuna vizuizi, maneno ya kupendeza na maneno ya kulaani katika lugha hiyo, ambayo matumizi yake yanadhibitiwa vikali na jamii. Ushirikiano au utambulisho wa kikundi huonyeshwa kwa msaada wa lugha; inaonyesha jinsi ya kutofautisha kati ya ndani na nje na kuwaambia marafiki kutoka kwa maadui. Katika makundi madogo ya watu, kama vile wenzao, wenzake, wafanyakazi, wanandoa na familia, lugha hupata mwelekeo wa uzoefu na maslahi ya kikundi (Wolfram na Schilling-Essens, 2017). Katika kazi, watu huwa na kuendeleza jargon, ambayo ni kifupi kwamba inaruhusu wao kuvutia au mystify nje kwa ufanisi (Chaika 13). Katika mazungumzo ya watu wawili, lugha huondoa hali ya chini ya jamii ya wasemaji katika njia wanayozungumza na kuwasiliana; inaonyesha ni nani anayesimamia na ni nani anayefanya jukumu la chini. Jamii ni mfumo tata uliounganishwa ambao hufanya kazi kwa msingi wa mambo mengi. Lugha, kama chombo cha mawasiliano, ni mojawapo ya chombo chenye uvutano mkubwa zaidi. Ina jukumu kubwa katika kuunganisha jamii katika jamii. Inaathiri watu binafsi na makundi, inaonyesha hadhi ya mtu katika jamii na hupunguza historia ya mtu. Jamii hufafanua matumizi ya lugha kulingana na jinsia ya mtu, umri, hadhi ya kijamii, uwanja wa shughuli na asili ya kikabila. Utata wa kitamaduni, mawasiliano na migogoro huunda lugha kama jambo la kijamii na kitamaduni.