Does the language of new media corrupt communication and culture?

I think that the language of media can enrich a culture and make it more diversified. Like any other language, the language of text is different from other, but unlike most languages, text language is new. This does not make it bad. I think people are afraid of change, and that is why they focus on the bad sides of the language of text. Over break while flying, it was important that i got out a quick text before we took off. I did this by using shortened ways of typing such as "ttyl". This was very useful. The language of new media can be surprisingly helpful than i think most people (especially older ones) had ever thought possible. I think that if we use this fast form of communication, more information can be absorbed in a shorter amount of time. Also an idea can be given much more quickly. I do not see why this would be considered corrupting our language. In my opinion it is just opening another chapter of language possibilities.

Is the ability to acquire language innate or learned?

The ability to acquire language is innate. I have a few baby relatives that i saw over break whom are all just starting to learn how to speak. Babies do not learn English because they have been taught how, they learn English because it is natural for them to do what they see around them. Also peoples ability to learn language changes depending on the person, just like all other things. Some people may be good at language but bad at math. Others may be good at math but bad a language. For some people it doesn't matter if you work really hard at a language, to some people it will just be easier. This is why some people know many languages and others know only one. I admit that this has to do with experiences, but a baby has no experience with language except for other people speaking it, yet still learns a language. This is why the ability to acquire language is innate.

Does language define our identity?

In many ways language defines our identity. In my opinion this is more evident when looking at an individual rather than a group of people. Many people opinions including my own are shaped by the way someone talks and the language the use. I noticed this when i met a man over break. He talked very properly and used large words. This made me think he was smart. He also talked in a very monotone voice which made me think that he probably isn't that fun to hang out with because he doesn't get excited very easily. Because of the way he talked, his identity to me was decided very quickly. Also, a persons race which is part of their identity can be determined by the way a person talks. If they have a British accent, they will be identified with Britain. These two examples make it clear that language can define an identity.

Do our beliefs influence our language use?

Our beliefs have a large influence on the language we use. At the Christmas Eve dinner i had with a lot of my family this was evident. We were all talking normally and every once in a while someone would swear during a story by accident, and a lot of the time a family member would say something similar to "not in front of the little ones". This is because most of use believe that the language we normally use should directly change because of the presence of children. Another example of this is most including myself believe that one should talk very different to a coworker or teacher than to a friend. When I talk to a friend i might say "Hey whats up man, how was your weekend". But if i said that to a teacher, they might lose a bit of respect for me. This is because our community believes that language should change depending on the situation a person is in.

Should governments have a language policy for a particular nation?

Many times over break i have witnessed a communication barrier between people. Recently someone i know got into an argument with a Spanish maid that worked for her. The argument escalated quicker and quicker and part of that reason was they couldn't understand each other. This was a big problem and led to the maid getting fired. I believe that if our government was more strict on enforcing a single language for all citizens to know, incidents like this wouldn't happen. In this case it resulted in a loss of job, but much worse things could happen such as a physical fight over something as simple as a miscommunication. This is all easily avoidable if everyone in the country is fluent in one singular language. I also believe that this language must be the only language spoken in public. Many times if one group is talking in a different language in public, it can lead to suspicion of why they wouldn't want everyone to hear it. I still think it is important though that multiple languages are taught in the classroom and privacy of a home. But, i do think that the United States government should enforce the policy of a single language.