Importance of Language

"Can you say something in Arabic?"

This is a question I have been asked countless times in my life, and it is usually followed by an awkward demonstration of how, yes, I do know two different languages.

With my parents both being from Libya -- an Arabic-speaking country -- and living in it for most of their lives, they made sure my siblings and I did not miss out on learning and speaking it. Whether it was online courses, physical activity books or speaking it at home, Arabic was something I learned, which is something I now am very grateful for. I want to say that Arabic wasn't something I hated learning, but as a small child, I didn't really understand why I had to take tests and quizzes during breaks over a language I wasn't mainly surrounded by. Now, I know why my parents were so persistent in us learning and retaining the Arabic language.

Language is something that differs depending on where one is on earth; it ties people together and allows them to communicate, as well as connect with each other. Language is used in books, to tell stories; in poetry, to express emotion; and in music, to entertain and also express emotion. Within each language, there are accents, slang terms and different connotations of words, which each pertain to the area one is in. This makes language an extremely important part of humanity in general. Without language, many, many things would be lost, such as history, individuality and culture. I say history because when I looked at major -- and minor -- historical discoveries, I saw that many of them were made through language and writing interpretations. Examples of this are the native Americans, the ancient Egyptians, the Mesopotamians, the ancient Chinese, early man and more.

That is why it is absurd to me that people think that there should be only one language that overtakes all the other languages. Easier communication is the one and only good thing that would come out of that idea. When proposals are made of what language should be the universal one, English is always chosen. This is because people say that English is the least complicated language and the easiest to learn, therefore everyone should switch to it. While this may be true, English's simplicity doesn't make it a superior language. Complexity in a language allows for a better understanding and communication of thoughts and ideas, allowing the speaker to exactly pinpoint his or her thoughts.

Not only that, but language is also needed to understand another important aspect of humanity: religion. Currently, pretty much any religious text is available in many different languages, but this wouldn't have been a thing if it weren't for translators. Yet with religious texts such as the Quran, many prefer to still read it in its original language. The reason for this is that a lot of the meaning in the text is lost once the text is translated.

All of these things show that languages are an instrumental part of human existence, and with languages being so closely tied to culture and individuality, replacing them with one universal one would be erasing so much of humanity's identity.

Opinion by Tiba Altower