How has English changed my identity

How has English changed my identity

Before I go into the topic, I feel most of you who are reading this have not bonded with English or haven’t had any chance in life of using English. Well, English in Japan, yes. You might be getting only limited situations to use them. But remember, that doesn’t mean you cannot or will never be able to fully master English. It’s everyone’s cup of tea. You could always have a sip or have another one to go. 

So, to start with, what is learning a different language to you? Is it something where you think it is necessary or you don't because simply you feel fine with just speaking your mother tongue? Neither of them is correct or wrong, but if we're to make an academic analysis of this question, I would say it is not something that does not worth having as a part of your identity. Learning a language is all about accepting different perspectives and different ways of thinking that always accompany strongly with language. This is like a vague description, but it is like where you are globalizing in terms of language, like it’s a vanguard of letting change happen in your identity. Well, then why? Why language is that so effective to our identity and why it is important to learn other language?

Let’s first go with Identity. Identity is something that shapes who you are and what makes you special from others. People's identities could go with different genres. Some might have created their identity with music, dance, art, etc. Among all of these, language is one of the factors that could easily be absorbed into your identity. In my case, I have been building my identity with English, a language. Mother tongue could be a firm identity of yours, but I went with a second language. Of course, that was challenging and that was not something that could be accepted by people around me. Despite all the negative consequences, adding English as a color for my identity did turn out as a detonator that caused changes to happen inside me.

It doesn't mean that because I chose to be a man of English identity, I abandoned all my identities like being Japanese or stopped considering my cultural background. My case was just that I happened to be closely related with English, and had this spontaneous enlightenment triggered by English, that has added some color or flavor to my identity. I got one favorite quote that I could show to you, as to insist how learning a language is important. Identities are like a bunch of ice cream you get to pick to fill in a bucket called personality. Identities should not be just one, but they could be taken as many as you want. Language is like a core kind of ice cream, where it won't melt so easily and the flavor will last forever. We conduct most of our behavior under language. What if you could make that a part of your identity? Wouldn't that be something thrilling? Even if it couldn't be your identity, it should somehow expand the world you are watching.

Language and identities seem to be isolated from each other or do not have a direct connection. Well, think of you are getting a whole new set of thinking and perspectives, it won't be that bad to give it a shot to increase your potentials. 💪💪💪