Language and Identity

Submitted by: Ifrah Anum

Roll No. 18081517-020
Submitted to: Dr. Asma Zahoor
Identity
 If a person asked me who I am, definitely what comes into
my mind is that this person wants to know your name.
 Assuming that the same person asking me ‘who I am’
knows my name, then this person is looking for a more
profound identity of the real me. The person wants to
know who you are deep down. The answer to such a
question does not come easily because who one is deep
down is never fully captured and expressed in words.
Two Aspects
 This then gives us two basic aspect of a person’s
identity:
1. their name that single them out from others and
2. the inner, intangible that constitute who one really is.
Role of language
 Language plays an important role in defining
or describing the identity of a person.
 Listening to a dialogue by different
individuals, our interpretation of their
identities will most probably be influenced
by their voices, accents and other features of
how they speak.
Example
 For example in Amy’s essay, we could tell their
identities (Amy and the mother) through the use
of language. Their language tells that they were
immigrant.
 This does not mean that language solely
determines our interpretation of a person but
plays a fundamental role.
Identity as a Linguistic
Phenomenon
 language has been a salient feature of making
group membership and social identity.
 From such group identification, one again is
able to know their identity as individual.
Example
 Through language for example, you are
able to know which ethnic group you
belong to and from that ethnic group
who really are you.
 A good example is of people who
migrate to other social setting.
Social Identification
 It focuses on how people understand their
interaction to the world, how those relationships
are constructed across time and space, and how
people understand their possibilities for the
future.
 Social identity is seen as individual’s identity
made from the language he/she uses within a
social group setting.
Creator, Medium, Power
 Language is a creator of social identity and a
medium to gain self-esteem and power in the
society.
 Communication works as a medium for
renegotiating individual position in society
and provides an access to power.
 Gaining power means equal treatment.
Gender Determination
 In gender determination, language has played a
major role. Language is used differently in
regard to our sex and this is evidenced in
Beverly essay ‘Bitch’. According to Beverly the
use of the word ‘bitch has been used negatively
in regard to women.
Cont.…
 The whole essay shows how women are
treated different from men by use of language
showing that their power position was lesser
than those of their counterpart.
Language Behavior
 Language behavior expresses complex social
meaning.
 Language defines the different social groups
within which we are identified and the role we
embrace in the society.
 Language as research has shown is a symbol of
different social identities and it is used to construct
a particular identity (Baldwin).
Dialect
 Dialect in a language is symbolized by systematic
differences in pronunciation, grammar, and
vocabulary from other varieties of the same
language.
 This difference in dialect within the same
language has led to division and labeling of
language.
Example

 For example, we have American English

verse British English.
 Accent has also contributed in language
labeling. In definition, accent is a form of a
language spoken by subgroup of speakers of
that language.
Conclusion
 A broad connection exists between language and
identification.
 Language defines our ethnic group that we belong
to, our status in the social stratification, and also
determines the power we hold in our society.
Cont.…
 Our social identity is created by our language
and also our future possibilities are determined
by language.
 With other factors placed in mind, language
then plays a major role in determining who we
really are and what our future possibilities are.