The limits of language....

So in sociology, we're learning about language and what part it plays in intercultural communication. We were asked to discuss what this quote meant to us: "The limits of my language are the limits of my world." This quote was given by linguistic philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. To me, it means that you're only confined by what you are willing to be confined to with regard to learning about other languages and cultures and effectively communicating with people of different languages and cultures. We can choose to expand our knowledge so that we can be effective communicators, or we can choose to limit ourselves to only what is familiar to us. However, in this day and age, it is wise to be well-versed in cultures other than our own.

Why do I say this? It is because we communicate globally with others on an almost daily basis, and in order for us to be effective communicators, we have to really understand the language and culture of the people we choose to have dealings with--whether it be on a personal or business level. In fact, when we think about most positions today, the human resources manager usually requires a person to not only be the right person for the job, but to be able to speak the language of the clientele; and so some jobs require a person to be bilingual. So we do well to take these things into consideration.