Power of Language

The ability of one to speak a given language would enhance effective communication in a group or culture. Language is not just a way of communication, rather a tool of power. People use it differently, either in a good or bad way, but it is very powerful. The “power of language” does not only refer to the service of power, but also it can influence and undermine power. This paper will utilize Madera and Tan’s texts to support James Baldwin claim that language is the most vivid and crucial key to a person’s personality and how it is a proof of power. It will also highlight how language connects people and separate them from one another.
Language as proof of power means that power must finally use language, which must be conveyed and manifested through command, that is, to speak, and others to only listen and obey. The understanding of the language as proof of power is based on the implementation of language with the aim of exercising power. Typically, command of any language implies a form of power (Tan 2). The influence of language covers a great magnitude of political models, from what a person says, hence the perception of dictatorship; being commanded by a lot of force.
The category of those who speak the same language easily connects and relate to themselves compared to those that speak a different language from an another culture. Therefore, being able to communicate with others creates a chance of acceptance and makes an individual a part of a community. Language gives the authority to change the perception that an individual has over others on how they think and understand other people.

Tan says, “When I was growing up, my mother’s limited English limited my perception of her” (Tan 2). Tan shows how the power of language influences one’s perception of others just because they speak differently.
The first language that people acquire is become their natural language. Any second language the person may opt for later can be evaluated and analyzed through their language understanding. However, the person must eventually refer back to his/her natural language. This interpretation gives a second function of a natural language. The latter establishes a firm foundation grasping, understanding and giving expressions of various things. Learning a new language can be intriguing and difficult, especially when you have to communicate. From the text, one voice by Mandera, she says “I wish you would talk English, none of us understands you” (Madera 76). From this quote, for effective communication, people must have a common language that would enable them to understand each other. Language socializes an individual outside his/her environment. People become accepted through their participation in a language, and the bonding in between the communication of the same language will earn them membership to the group or culture will get a membership to a group or culture. It is through language that a person attains a consciousness of his surroundings and also to himself. In most cases, the language that is learned out of school is what mainly determines a person’s speech (Madera 77). With the help of language, one becomes capable of acting, and easily respond to instruction. Not only does the person learns how to interpret a word, but also associates the word as a language. The membership of an individual to a group or culture remains a foundational element of his or her identity.
Language, however, is not the only element an individual attains at a particular time, but rather the power he/she attains in constituting oneself and as an independent subject. The manner in which an individual speaks does not define the outside appearance of a person, but rather reveals the inside identity and the belief of a person (Madera 79).

Works Cited
Tan, Amy. The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life. New York: Penguin Books, 2004. Print.
Madera G. S. “One Voice” Retrieved from http://chuffm14.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/7/3/26736745/susan_madera_one_voice.pdf