The Importance Of Having An Accent! | Hilda Chacón | TEDxNazarethUniversity

TL;DR

Embracing accents is a sign of immersing oneself in another language and culture, shaping the way we think and perceive the world around us.

Transcript

Transcriber: SHIMA BAGHERZADEH Reviewer: Michael Nystrom Today I will be talking about something that is very true for me, as I believe it is for millions of other people around the planet, including our students who are pursuing careers in languages and cultures. I will be talking to you in English, which clearly is not my first language. And you ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌍 Embracing accents shows a willingness to immerse oneself in another language and culture, leading to a unique perspective on the world.
• 🤔 Different languages shape the way we perceive and think about actions, focusing on different aspects.
• ❓ Learning multiple languages offers numerous invaluable skills, including flexibility, empathy, resilience, and creative problem-solving.
• 🇺🇸 There are about 7,000 languages in the world, with a significant linguistic and cultural diversity in the United States.
• 😀 Children have a greater ability to learn languages easily, while adults face different challenges.
• 👻 Multilingualism allows for a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures.
• 😯 There is an increasing number of people living outside their country of origin, necessitating language acquisition and often resulting in accented speech.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do multilingual individuals often retain accents?

Acquiring a language beyond childhood means learning it through a different lens, as we construct meaning differently. This leads to speaking and thinking differently, resulting in the retention of accents even when we are comprehensible.

Q: How does speaking multiple languages benefit individuals?

Multilingual individuals possess unique skills such as flexibility, empathy, resilience, adaptability, creative problem-solving, imagination, and humility. They appreciate other cultures, challenge assumptions, and often find a different self within themselves when immersed in another culture.

Q: Can children learn a second language more easily than adults?

Yes, children can learn a second language easily when exposed to it from an early age. However, this ability declines as we grow older, making language acquisition a different experience for adults, where they need to consider similarities and differences from their primary language.

Q: How does multilingualism offer direct access to other cultures?

By acquiring another language, individuals gain direct access to other cultures, allowing for a deeper understanding of their perspectives and experiences. This can be seen, for example, when researching immigration trends and comparing how different cultures perceive immigration.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Learning a language as an adult means embracing an accent, which represents a willingness to immerse oneself in a new culture and language.

• Scientific evidence shows that different languages shape the way we think, focusing on different aspects of actions.

• Multilingualism allows for a broader understanding of meanings and offers valuable skills such as flexibility, empathy, resilience, and creative problem-solving.