Identity is a social construct, not something which is defined biologically or by the law. It is a personal choice of where a person feels they most belong and can relate to. Being an international student, the meaning of heritage, and overall identity, extends well beyond where your ancestors have travelled from. There are many ways of discovering your own identity, the most notable way of doing this is through one’s mother tongue.
The modern world’s globalisation has caused a surge in many very positive things, for example economic growth and with it an immense increase in industrial production. However this globalisation has also become a threat to what is termed “local identity”, as it is slowly being overshadowed by “global identity”. This, in many ways, should not be looked at in such a negative light, however it does meant that there is a growing risk of losing the uniqueness that separated each person’s individual identity from another’s. Rediscovering each of our own local identities should therefore be given a high priority, language can aid this.
Language on one level can be described as an expression of culture, which is strongly linked to a persons own identity. By expressing yourself through your mother tongue a new world is opened up, allowing a person to engage in new cuisines and traditions which can build the foundation of an identity. Not only that, but by just communicating in your mother tongue language, you are immediately able to relate with a larger group of people forming even stronger roots which could solidify that same identity. It is no coincidence that at most universities there are societies based on where you come from. Within these societies a group identity is formed by exploring ones heritage jointly through food, language communication and cultural traditions.
Moreover, anyone’s expression of speech gives a huge insight into their identity. The putting together of words shows a person’s interests, thoughts and emotions, as your voice acts as an expression of your personality. This leads to producing social bonds with other people who share similar interests, again strengthening that shared output of identity.
Ultimately, language is a vital component of ones identity. Whether this is because of how the expression of a person’s mother tongue with builds knowledge of heritage, or in the way language shows how a person choices to output their voice into the world expressing their identity uniquely.
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