Opinion- Your language goes to head or heart?

The different means of communication that we have today bridged the gap between people and nations. They have brought the whole world even closer than it was thousands of years ago. Day-to-day interaction between people around the globe is becoming easier as communication links are smarter and faster, making this world feel like a virtual village. For that reason, people are encouraged to learn other languages, which are essential to have effective communication.

Mastering another approach of communication, such as learning a new language, helps people easily interact with individuals from different nations, backgrounds, and cultures. Understanding another language is considered the doorway to wisdom! Speaking, or at least understanding the basics of other languages, can be an attractive quality for speakers of that particular language. Learning a few greeting phrases in a different language can serve as an effective way and an icebreaker to start a friendly conversation.

It is great to have interest to learn a new language; however, this process involves a number of challenges. Once the learning journey begins, one must keep in mind that the path to multilingualism feels like a never-ending road trip with countless dead ends.

To acquire the spoken form of a new language, learners should master the sounds or phonemes that constitute the language and understand how to arrange words (syntax) to create meaningful utterances. They must also learn new vocabulary from that language and practice using it in dialogues within different contexts.

One of the most significant languages that is less commonly learned or spoken among people is the Sign Language. It is an essential tool for communicating with deaf individuals, and the world has designated a special day to celebrate its importance and recognise the human rights of deaf people. This day highlights the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all sign language users worldwide.

Countries observe this day to recognise the importance of sign languages in achieving global goals and fulfilling the core promise of leaving no one behind. Nelson Mandela, the South African revolutionary and political leader, said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”

According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are over 70 million deaf people around the world. Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages, and over 80 per cent of these individuals live in developing countries. Not all words are expressed through voice; sometimes thoughts and feelings are conveyed through body language, as in sign language.

Sign Language is based on the idea that sight is the most useful tool for a deaf person to communicate and receive information. Unlike spoken languages, where the different sounds created by words and tones of voice are the main devices for communication, sign language relies on hand shapes, positions, movements, body movements, gestures, facial expressions, and other visual signs to construct its words. Like any other language, fluency in sign language comes only after a long period of study and practice.

Learning Sign Language as a second language or acquiring it as a first language is likely not the same experience. Some studies emphasize age as a critical factor for individuals who learn sign language. For a person to become fully competent in any language, exposure should begin as early as possible, preferably before school age. Researchers suggest that the first six months are the most crucial for a child's development of language skills. The early identification of a child's hearing loss or deafness provides parents with an opportunity to explore communication options.