#languageiskey

Key Concepts: Language and Global Language

This is the picture of the front of a passport issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran. I came across the opportunity to take this picture last Friday, when my family friends from Iran were visiting me at GW. First and foremost, this photo represents the key concept of language. Language is defined by Miller as “a form of communication that is based on a systematic set of learned symbols and signs shared among and passed on from generation to generation (Miller2017, p. 251). In this case, the first phrase of the passport is written in the language of Farsi, and it translates to “Passport of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. The individual letters of the phrase are the “symbols” that allow me to make sense of this form of communication. Even though I am not Persian and never lived in Iran, I am still able to read this phrase after learning the language. This exemplifies the influence of language in communication and society.

This picture also represents the key concept of global language. Below the phrase written in Farsi, there is a direct translation in both French and English. A global language is defined as “a language spoken widely throughout the world and in diverse cultural contexts” (Miller2017, p. 267). In this case, French and English are quite different and unrelated to the language of Farsi, the official language of Iran. However, they are still included on the front of the country’s official passport cover. Thus, this passport exemplifies the concept of global languages, as their prevalence and influence on such a large scale has allowed them to make a presence in this circumstance.