Day 2 TedX Questions

1. How might growing up with the language of tap dance change how one thinks about the world?

From watching this TedX video, Alexander MacDonald conveyed to me how tap dancing is still a living oral tradition to express a story through the physician patterns and rhythm that it beholds. Mr. MacDonald has grown up with this tradition, and from his story, I learned that even though this form of art could be passed through generations without being written, it is still a form of language. In his talk, he said, “There is more information in those steps than merely the mechanics they mandate”, and this proves how tap dancing is the oldest form of art in the [American] culture of sharing stories. From this talk, I learned that enslaved African-Americans used it as a way of sharing messages after they were banned from playing drums. Irish immigrants also used it as a way to stay connected to their culture back at home. Overall, tap dancing changes how one thinks about the world by being an expression of common humanity and our interconnectedness through the transfer of joyful rhythm.

2. What sonic, spoken, or even silent "language" do you possess? How do they change the ways you think? 

I believe that language refers to the way in which one communicates to another person, and that “way” can look different for everyone. I am able to speak, read, and write in Dari, Farsi, English, and French. This allows me to communicate with my family, friends, peers, teachers, and the rest of society. Being able to make connections between these languages has also improved my cognitive ability to develop new vernacular that will further enhance my conversations. In terms of sonics, I have realized that I speak in slightly different pitches for each language; for instance, in Dari, I use a slightly higher-pitched voice because it is the first language I learned as a child and that has influenced my relation to communicating in a softer tone. On the other hand, I have a slightly deeper pitch in English because I use it as the official language to communicate with society in a more formal and professional manner. Thus, these languages influence the way I think and how I should speak each. Furthermore, I have made-up a language with my brother, and we communicate through it at times when we want to secretly share messages to each other. Despite it being a sonic, we understand each other since we both comprehend the structure and have developed it together. Finally, the silent “languages” that I possess include art forms such as drawing and the music I choose to listen to. I draw during my leisure times if I feel to express a story through visual arts. I listen to certain types of music (such as slow and calm or fast and up-beat) based on my mood at the time. Hence, if people witness me completing these actions, they would be able to understand how I feel and the message I am communicating. Ultimately, languages are all around us and they truly shape the ways we think.