The Power of Language

Starting at a young age, I have been fortunate enough to be exposed to different kinds of people and places around the world. I will admit that, at the time, I did not think much about it and simply embraced it as an important part of my everyday life. Over a decade later, I am sharing my personal experiences and stories of what has arguably been the most powerful gift that I have ever received, and, that is the power of language.

Language is what I look forward to as soon as I get up in the morning and before I fall asleep at night. It is what keeps me motivated and what gives me drive in everything into which I put my energy and in everything that I want to accomplish. Language is what allows me to reach to communities and individuals that I otherwise would simply pass by without having any kind of interaction. 

Language is what allows me to be flexible, curious, independent, and a good teammate. Language is the glue that holds my family together. It is what keeps us alive, healthy, and positive. It gives up hope for a better tomorrow, hope that we will someday reunite despite the distance that separates us.

Language is what has set me apart from most of my classmates. It is the tool that I have used in order to hear others out in times of distress and in times of hopelessness. It is what I listen to whenever I am teary-eyed and miss my parents while at college. Language is what keeps me alive and what allows me to think about situations through different lenses. It is what could allow me to talk to over 1.4 billion of the world’s population. Now, that, is incomprehensible, powerful, and unique.

Throughout my life, and, especially now that I am an adult, I have had a hard time coming to terms with what I consider to be my identity. The United States considers me to be Hispanic or Latino, but, when someone asks me who or what I am, I respond that I am Colombian. As much as I want to fully consider myself Colombian, I have never lived there and mostly know about my homeland through my parents’ stories and through the trips that I have had, yet I do not completely feel American, and do not completely feel Colombian-American. One day, I talked to my mom about my confusion and asked her for advice. She said “Laura, if you do not consider yourself any of the above, you can tells others that you are a world citizen.” Although I only heard those words once, they completely changed my life. Whenever I feel lonely or frustrated with who or what I am, I say that I am a citizen of the world. I can say that because of my gift to communicate with many people around the world.

Now that my freshman year of college is almost coming to a close, I have never felt more like myself or happier than I do now. I no longer have to hide part of myself, or pretend to be someone with whom I do not feel comfortable. I have enjoyed going to German and to Russian Table on Tuesdays, to Italian and Spanish Table on Wednesdays, and to French Table on Thursdays. I have watched films, have eaten meals, have written, spoken, and read in 7 languages. I have written essays, read novels, have analyzed, and have had to think critically in 4 languages, and continue to keep in touch with my friends who live in over 20 states and 20 countries in 5 continents.

In high-school, my family hosted students from New Zealand and from Thailand, and have childhood friends from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. I am blessed to have gone to a bilingual elementary school for Spanish and English and to have studied 3 languages in high-school and 3 new ones in college. I have also become closer with the teaching assistants and professors from different countries by speaking to them in their mother tongues. It is what gave me a scholarship to college, it is the reason why I was recognized for academics in high-school, and it is why I am who I am today.

As the video above says, language is what bridges gaps in communication and in cultural exchange. Precise meanings of what you are trying to convey oftentimes get lost in translation, but feeling and thinking in another language can help you get beyond that. Language is what reaches to other people’s hearts and what allows you to have another shoulder on which to cry. I cry, ponder, question, respond, and react in a different language depending on the situation in which I am and with who I am. 

The beauty of it all is that I do not have to rely as heavily on someone else to get out of a situation, or to understand what is happening around me. Whenever I am in a diverse city, I overhear fragments of conversations around me, allowing me to have the world at my hands. I, along with other polyglots, are nowhere near perfect, but we do share something in common: the ability to reach out to others no matter what their needs are.

Now, more than ever, we need people to live in peace together, but we cannot even begin to solve our world’s problems if we cannot communicate with each other. Communication is what has bridged gaps and has taught me the importance of being patient and respectful of individuals who practice, believe, or think differently than I do. Over the years, I have learned to become more tolerant and adaptable to almost any kind of situation. Even a simple “have a nice day”, or “I hope that you feel better” can make all of the difference in the world and can brighten up somebody’s day. It can make someone who is homesick feel loved and welcomed, or can help someone escape his or her country. It is hard, time-consuming, and requires patience, but that is what makes it rewarding and worth it.

Language is by far the most powerful tool that my parents gave me and that I have fostered. It is not only a part of me, but it is also what I embrace. For better or for worse, I know that I can continue to bring individuals closer together and avoid confusion and misconceptions from taking place.

I believe that this world can become a happier place and know that we can change our lives and the lives of others by learning to respect each other. Language is what will ultimately make this dream become a reality.

Dream. Believe. Achieve. Now, that, is the power of language. I will end this post with my all-time favorite quote by Nelson Mandela: "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."