revise article

Language Conflict

Zi Wang

California state university, San Bernardino

Several linguistic problems could potentially result in conflict in the world today. Language conflicts occur regardless of the part of the world one is coming from. This speech was given Reza Hasmath, a professor at Oxford University at the university premises on 26th November 2018. The main aim of the speech was to point out the language conflicts arising from different people from different linguistic backgrounds.

Language conflict is a topic that is dealt with in linguistic literature. Several researchers have made significant contributions to secure a place for language conflict within linguistic research. According to Boroditsky (2009), " Language conflict is a common topic, particularly in turkey. Despite the linguistic differences in Kurdish and Turkish cultures, there is no difference in the alphabet using during the pronunciation of words when speaking. " Boroditsky adds that language conflict can emanate from using language in interaction. It is no doubt that language conflict can result in negative outcomes.

Examples of language conflict can be found in the work of (Benesch, 2012) who illustrates how words can be used as weapons in turn leading to language conflict. "Many languages have evolved in human history while the population of humans continues to grow very fast. As a result, language became the major form of identity for different cultures" (Benesch, 2012). She illustrates this particular situation by highlighting a circumstance whereby a speaker uses inciting words when delivering his/her speech. (Orwell, 2001) outlines ways in which English language use results in language conflict.

In a real-life example, the speaker（who） gives an example of a language conflict he encountered during his trip to Turfan in Xinjiang, China. A young graduate from the University of Beijing could not clearly explain the reasons for not finding a job in fluent English or mandarin language. According to the graduate, he was prejudiced because of his inability to speak fluent English or mandarin language. It is possible that this could not be the case. Still, it is worth noting according to Orwell (2001), that the graduate could have better chances of securing a job if he perfected his language skills.

The author outlines four ways in which an author/speaker can avoid language conflict. Orwell urges English authors not to use a metaphor, simile, or any other figure of speech which he/she is used to seeing in print, not to use a long word where a short one can do, to always cut out a word if it is possible to do so, not to use passive where he/she can use active, and finally not to use a foreign phrase(Give an example)scientific word(Give an example)or a jargon word (Give an example)By doing all these, the authors will be able to avoid language conflict.

According to (Borodidtsky, 2009), "Language shapes the way people think." The author uses some illustrations to prove that indeed language influences the way individuals think and do their activities. The way persons think and the choices of words individuals use determine the extent of occurrence of language conflict. (Kenneally, 2007) likens language to the information highway (World Wide Web) in that everyone is logged in. A language conflict will result in individuals logging out of the system.

Language conflict is evident in our day to day lives. Many speakers do not use effective language strategies as they deliver their speeches. A great example is a motivational speaker from Chinese Origin by the name, (who, Say the name)Chen Anzhi who was delivering a talk to university students in Arizona States University, United States. Language conflict was evident as he delivered the speech (Benesch, 2012). Firstly, the motivational speaker was not clear at all. The clarity of his speech was distorted by the words he used. The audience also had different connotative definitions for words that were used by the speaker. The audience was unable to understand the ideas conveyed by the speaker in the way the speaker intended. The message could not be understood.

The speaker thought that it was good to use more words when delivering the speech. But according to Benesch (2012), the speaker was rambling on and on without actually making a valid point. This resulted in the audience become bored and distracted. Since the audience was distracted others started doing their things. Unnecessary movements out of the hall increased. Other individuals were paying more attention to their phones. These are indicators of language conflict. The outcome became undesirable and not recommended. The speaker was supposed to minimize the words used. He could have opted to use only those words that are necessary to accurately express his idea.

Another action that resulted in language conflict was that the speaker used a very basic language that turned off the audience. The choice of vocabulary used was not appropriate for university students. He used vocabulary words that are appropriate for high school students. Some of these vocabularies included encore, leisurely, heartrending, epic, detract, etymology among others. This offended the university students such that they were no longer willing to hear what the speaker was saying.

Obscenity or indecent language used by the speaker also caused language conflict. It may be okay to use obscene language in casual conversations with friends; however, it is not recommended to use obscene language( Please give an example of what obscene language the speaker used )while delivering a speech. In this particular manner, the motivational speaker erred in doing so. This resulted in the audience focusing on the obscenity and not on the message from the speaker. According to Benesch (2012), "This language choice made the audience not to get to understand the message." The audience had no idea about some of these words. He was not supposed to assume that the audience knew the meaning of such words.

The following actions also led to language conflict. The speaker used a language( Which language? Give an example)that made him sound unprepared or uncertain. The speaker was also overemphasizing all aspects of the speech. The speaker at many times tried to downplay his qualifications and competence about the topic he was talking about. He was also adding a question to the end of a phrase seeking the audience's consent for what was said.( Give an example) He downplayed his abilities. This made the audience to lack confidence in him. He used the modifiers that indicated that he was not completely sure of the statement he was making. Most of his utterances were used to fill space while speaking i.e. filler words. All these aspects finally resulted in language conflict. (give an example)

Language conflict indeed has undesired outcomes as discussed above. Every speaker should avoid actions that can lead to language conflict. According to Orwell (2001), "In many instances, language conflict is caused by the writer/speaker. Language conflict will hinder the speaker from achieving his objectives." Each speaker usually intends to pass a particular message to his/her audience. However, if a language conflict arises during the time of giving a speech, the message may not be understood or it may even go to a point of information being understood. If a speaker does not succeed in passing the intended message to the audience, then it will be like the speaker has wasted his time and energy giving the speech.

Another key consequence of language conflict is a lack of confidence and trust in the speaker. Language conflict causes a wide rift between the audience and the speaker. The audience may not trust the words from the speaker. This is manifested when the audience no longer concentrates on what the speaker is saying. The audience shifts the concentration to other things such as mobile phones and talking as the speaker gives the speech.

As highlighted above, language conflict has negative impacts. Therefore, any speaker/author must avoid actions that lead to language conflict. According to Orwell (2001), "The choice of words and vocabulary should be appropriate to the audience. The speaker should ensure that he stands close to the audience." The speaker should avoid the use of obscure and obscene language. The speaker/author should avoid making bad rhetorical choices. There are also some questions which the audience may find it not pleasing to be asked. The speaker should also avoid asking such kind of actions. By doing all these, then an author/speaker will avoid language conflict.

Finally, anything including language can turn into conflict in humanity. Language, however, is not the main problem for linguistic conflicts but the failure to relay information properly. There is no standard way of preventing conflicts that result from human nature. But language conflict can be solved through the development of different perspectives and acknowledging the diversity in language and linguistic styles.

References

Benesch, S. (2012). Words as weapons. World Policy Journal, 29(1), 7-13.

Boroditsky, L. (2009). How does our language shape the way we think. What’s next, 116-129.

Kenneally, C. (2007). The first word: The search for the origins of language. Penguin.

Orwell, G. (2001). Politics and the English language. (21).