We built this city… We built this city on sausage rolls…. Oh wait, those aren’t the lyrics, are they? Humans, as great as we are, are not perfect. I know I certainly am not. Have you ever heard that 80’s song Rock Me Amadeus? Well, in the chorus where they go, “Amadeus, Amadeus,” for the longest time I thought they were saying, “Hot potatoes, hot potatoes…” Yeahhhhh… My family still hasn’t let me live that one down yet. Perhaps some can relate to my story with the more recent example of Taylor Swift’s Blank Space. There was a debate on whether she was saying Starbucks lovers or star-crossed lovers, only for her to come out and say both groups were wrong… It was actually a long list of ex-lovers. Most of the time, when a miscommunication …show more content…
The word for this is ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture, or more specifically, the tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own. Many activists have been combatting the effects of ethnocentrism within the United States for quite some time now, but few have addressed the language-based aspects of this. Studies from countries all around the world have shown time and time again when someone speaks with an accent, those not from their same culture often view them as weaker, less competent, and less intelligent. All of this stems from the lack of understanding between cultures that don’t use or speak the same language. The main problems that the language barrier presents, whether through direct interaction in relationships and businesses, or indirect through culture differentiation causing prejudices and discrimination, all stand in need to be addressed. But …show more content…
Esperanto, a language spoken by millions, is an international, auxiliary language, which is just fancy phrasing for a language created by an individual to ease international communication. So in a way, if Esperanto became the national standard, everyone would be speaking one language. Unlike making English the international standard, the playing field would be leveled, as no culture lays claim to it, and it would be a second language to all, eliminating the native advantage within international communication. No one culture lays claim to it, as it is shared by all those who speak it. Esperanto as a second language to all preserves other cultures and languages while also promoting globalization. And say someone still wanted to study other additional languages… Learning Esperanto as a first alternative language makes it easier to learn other languages. The simplicity of the language also makes it a totally viable option to breaking down the language barrier and stimulating more intercultural understanding and communication. The language has a total of 16 grammar rules, which have absolutely no exceptions. The writing system is completely phonetic, every letter has only one sound. Words all derived from the