Language in Social Context

Moving out of typical comfort zones is one of the best ways of learning language, culture, and society. One major limitation resides in the use of language. Across different languages and outside of dialect, the use of phrases and words can show the inability to properly relay information across social territories. This is as a result of language that depends on the social context in which it is applied against knowledge and understanding of the phrases. Studying abroad offers many challenges that can become worth lessons. Another event that made me understands that accents and dialects can vary by ancestry, class, or region and affect the impressions we make of other people is when I moved from Georgia to Colorado. When I used the word “buggy” to refer to a shopping cart, I was met with a very strange look.

Studies reveal that people have the tendency to think more negatively about individuals who speak differently and think more positively about those who use the same dialect. Obviously, countless persons imagine they speak normally and view others to have a dialect or accent. Since that day, I have learned that though dialects comprise of different phrases and words, strongest impression is created by the tone of the voice. During intercultural interactions with inmates, prison officers were seen as discriminatory and had little attention to cultural needs of the foreign inmates. The major finding in this research is that foreign inmates decide to discriminate themselves in order to avoid being confronted by prison constables. This reality should encourage prison staff to come up with adequate interventions to minimize violence and to foster good communication skills of prison officers and inmates alike (Iversen et al.

In his study of the social context of language acquisition, Bruner (1981) posits that pragmatics offers the most common support system for an understanding of the formal elements of language. He discussed the two functions achieved through the language by local speakers, even during teenage: requesting and indicating. The concept of investment develops from the language of the learner, not as un-dimensional and historical, rather as having multiple desires and multiple social histories. The findings from these articles show that language can do away with communication problems. One such way is learning the second language. While doing business internationally, it is likely that one will run into language barriers at one point. Keeping language in perspective when communicating will solve the problem that comes with different phrases and ways of speaking that may be positive in one culture and inappropriate in another culture.

At an awkward level, there have been cases where organizations have failed to demonstrate communication competence in product advertisement and naming in a different language. For instance, American Motors came up with a new car known as the Matador and introduced it to the Puerto Rico market only to realize that "Matador" means "killer". The potential buyers felt uncomfortable. In the same vein, in Taiwan, Pepsi employed the slogan "Come Alive with Pepsi" only to learn that the phrase means "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead" when translated. In terms of informative, the words used to exert positive reinforcement are culturally related. Heightening globalization and outsourcing have increased pressures for code-switching. Persons who work in multilingual environments may code-switch within a single conversation or many times during the day.