World Languages

TRUTH – How can we use language to communicate accurately and meaningfully?  Language is both a representation of how we see the world and something that shapes our worldview. It can be a way to discover and understand new “truths” from perspectives beyond our own. By learning languages, we enable ourselves to engage with and understand other people and cultures. 

SYSTEMS –What are the building blocks of language and how do they work together?   What is the purpose of language?  What are the systems we use to acquire language? Languages are part of cultural systems. Language unites and divides. Societies function around shared language and communication. Learning about the systems of another language allow us to recognize and reflect on our own cultural and linguistic systems. 

CHOICE – What does it mean to be part of a linguistic community? How do linguistic choices impact messages?  We can choose to use language as a tool in making connections and communicating with the world. Even within a linguistic community, the words that we choose, the tone that we use and the way we use a language can alter its meaning. The more familiar we are with a language, the more choice we have in how we use it.  

CHANGE – How does learning a second language change your outlook on another culture?  The cultures in which a language is used are constantly changing, and so language itself is constantly changing, too. Similarly, people that learn and utilize languages open themselves to the potential to grow and change as their connection to and awareness of the world around them broadens. 

• •  Language acquisition is a complicated and highly individual journey. 

  • We can understand a message even when we don’t understand all of its parts. 

  • Language can help us understand other people and cultures. 

  • Language is a system that has rules, patterns, structure and norms. 

  • Languages are always changing to adapt to changes in society. 

  • Language is at the root of human connection.