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Language is the key to connecting the internal to the external environment. As a nurse practitioner, I frequently see what patients want me to see on the outside. When the patient speaks another language, I have to use an interpreter to communicate with the patient. Often, the words coming through the interpreter are not representative of what I see in the eyes of the person in front of me. Being able to speak Spanish will allow me to communicate directly with many patients and explore the emotion I can see. Language is the door through which the patient may find improved hand health outcomes and a personal connection with me as the provider. Language will allow me to truly provide holistic care, as language is holistic in that it is about the mind, body, and spirit.

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I have never experienced the language barrier quite like when I went on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. I was thrust into a foreign country knowing very basic Spanish. I thought this would be the hardest part of the trip, however, what I discovered surprised me. What I found is that while language is a big part of communicating, but it is not necessary. We were able to communicate through non-verbal communication and form friendships through shared interests such as music and sports. We were able to determine what each other was trying to say through their limited knowledge of English and my limited knowledge of Spanish. We would work together to help explain various requests. While language is a a large part of communication, there are other ways we can connect with people of different languages.

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Language is also versatility. When you can understand and communicate with others in different parts of the world, you become a more valuable employee, friend, peer, etc. When you travel, you can improve your language skills and also find new interests that you didn't know about before. Language can take you anywhere in the world, literally.

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To me, language is love. This photo was taken of me writing "Te amo" on a wall at a restaurant in the Dominican Republic. In the Spanish language, you say the direct object pronoun (te) before the verb (amo). This is opposite from the English language, but I find it so special because you put the other person first in the statement "I love you" or "te amo". Languages are so different and unique, and it's truly a journey to learn about them.

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Language is communication. By using language we can express our thoughts, feelings, and actions by making sounds. That is remarkable. Obviously the rules and grammar of language are impressive, but so are the other aspects that we take for granted. When I really stop to think, I realize how phenomenal speaking is. We push air out of our lungs and it vibrates just right so when it reaches someone else's ear they can hear, comprehend, and encode it, and think of a response. But sometimes we don't even need words. We can communicate with facial expressions or body language. Humans are so innately good at picking up on other people's body language that we can carry out entire conversations without opening out mouths.

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Language is complex. Humans are the only creatures on Earth that have the capacity to speak language. My roommate studied German last semester and I study French. Often we would sit in our apartment and talk about how French and German differ, but also how they both differ from English. Language and its complexity made us connect in ways that we wouldn't have been able to without it. Since I started learning French five years ago, I have noticed that it's not just another language. it's a complete other way of thinking. The way the French express themselves, and the worlds they use that can't be translated back to English add to the incredible beauty of different languages.

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Language is one of the most important aspects of my life. It allows me to express myself in many different ways depending on which language I am speaking, it allows me to develop new friendships that I wouldn't otherwise have, and allows me the chance to travel to the places that speak each language. I don't know who I would be without the languages that I can speak.

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One of the most interesting aspects of languages for me is how there are multiple phrases and words in almost every language that are impossible to exactly translate into another language. If it was, the meaning of the word would be lost in translation which I find special. For example, I learned Portuguese a couple of years ago and I quickly realized that there was no direct way to translate the word "Saudade," into English. The meaning of the word is so beautiful because it literally means that you are longing for the feeling you had when you were with a certain person or thing which is lost or no longer close to you. This word is the closest translation to "I miss you" in English that exists in Portuguese. This is a great example of how language affects how we think because the way in which people who speak Portuguese view "missing" someone or something is completely different than how people who speak English think about it. After learning Portuguese, I love that I now have a new way of thinking about "missing" someone in which I never would have understood if I hadn't learned the language.

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I think one of the most interesting things about languages is the fact that there is a certain emotion or feeling when you're talking about a specific language or language learning in general. The two go hand-in-hand, and to separate it would mean the separation of the culture from the language, and that would make it much harder to learn.

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Language is the first thing that influences relationships, it's the first thing that comes to mind when talking about connecting with other people. In the fall semester, I had a roommate from Germany. Her name is Franziska, but everyone just called her Franzi, and she is going to school to teach English back home. We would often talk about how German and English differ and the culture differences between the two. She would teach my other roommates and I words that exist in German, but don't exist in English, which is a very interesting concept. It's interesting to think about how words impact you, even if just on the level of nouns and adjectives.

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Language is a key to help you open the door of opportunities which help to define who you are. I learned a lot about my personalities and other people's cultures and their characteristics since I learned English. The language taught me to be more patient to understand and sympathize to others. It helps me communicate and connect with people anywhere. Learning another language also helps me to be more confident and see other aspects of myself and other people. Every human being has a soul, language helps me see through not only my soul but also others' souls

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Language is also incredibly flexible as you move from place to place. Take the English language for example, traveling even as little as a couple of miles can make a huge difference in the form of English one hears. Slang words are used, accents become noticeable. I feel like there are multiple versions of the English language. It just all depends on where you are as to which one you will hear.

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Language to me is beautiful. It doesn't matter where in the world you are, there will always be a variety of languages. And each one holds something individually special; a new noise produced by the tongue that an American may have never heard before for example. Each language tells a story.

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Language is a beautiful thing. Traveling to foreign lands, or simply traveling to a different state, can stretch the meaning of language to a whole new degree. I can go from Grand Rapids to Boston, and someone would point out to me, "Wow, your accent is so different. Where are you from?" I find it amazing that traveling a few miles can create such a unique dynamic between different dialects. It creates a new community where learning is never ending and friendships are made to last. Everyone was created drastically different, yet there are many ways that unite individuals all over the world; language.

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Language means more to me than simply words. When I traveled to Cuba two years ago, I worked with Spanish speaking natives, who had disabilities; from not being able to walk to not being able to open their eyes. The man in the image below had the kindest soul, but I only knew that because of the way his body language portrayed it. I did not understand one word he said, vice versa, but we got along exceptionally well. We were best friends by the end of the day because of the way our body language united. If I knew more Spanish, our friendship would have blossomed even more, but I think that it is amazing how humans can communicate so well without uttering a word.

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Language has been a very influential part of my life. My Nonna is from Italy and communicating with her has been a barrier my whole life. Though she speaks some English, sometimes it is still difficult to speak with her. I have learned bits and pieces of Italian in order to get by to communicate with her, but I realize now that I am older that I missed out on a lot because I couldn't fully communicate with her. However, I have found that nonverbal communication with her has helped me my whole life. Being able to still laugh with one another and enjoy each others presence has been how we have communicated with one another a lot of the time. This cannot replace language completely, but to me it is really about the relationship you can develop with someone, regardless of language barriers.

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When I try to think about what language means to me and those around me, it is really too big of a term to define. Language is so much more than just talking to someone, but brings together culture, lifestyles, families, personalities, different perspectives, and countless other things. This broadness brought together by the term language is one of the reasons why it is so crucial for people to learn more than one language. Until you experience someone else's language, you cannot truly understand who they are and where they come from. Translating is not enough to understand someone else's words if you do not know the background of the language and attempt to speak it yourself. Once you dive into learning another language, this is when you can truly experience a life other than your own. Learning a language can be done when you are willing to push your own boundaries.

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I believe language is one of the ways many people become divided, but also one of the greatest ways to connect with someone who may seem different than you. Many people are afraid of other cultures because they may do things a little differently than you, but also because they speak another language that you may not understand. People tend to think very small, they are "normal" compared to people who live in other countries or even other citites. However, everyone lives differently and there is no right way for anything! Being able to speak Spanish has been such a great blessing because while being abroad in many Spanish speaking countries, I was able to learn so much more about other cultures. I was able to visit hospitals, nursing homes, and even everyday places such as a market, and I was able to connect on such a deeper level with all of these amazing people I was surrounded by because I was able to speak their language and learn more about their cultures. During my time abroad I was able to adapt to the way all of the people surrounding me lived, instead of comparing them to the way people in my city did things; there is no "right" way to live.

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Language is something that's very important, even if the person that you are communicating with can't use actual words at all. My cousin was born death in both of his ears so he has had to learn to sign language since he has started school. We are extremely close (he was my date to my prom). I was actually surprised that he wanted to go with me. Since we were both born in the same year, we were supposed to graduate around the same time. Unfortunately, since he has had a set back with his sign language learning, he has had to stay in school for an additional year. He promised himself that he would let this dampen his spirits, so he has been working on his school work so that he will graduate this year. He has been able to tea ch me sign language too which was a little bit challenging at first but I caught on eventually. I'm extremely proud of him for how far he has come and I'm excited to go to Alabama for his graduation in May.

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To me, I feel that Language is something that is essential for our growing world today. With many jobs entering the market nowadays, you have to make sure that you are able to communicate effectively with others so you and the person that you are helping out has a clearer understanding of what the task is at hand.

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In todays world people often see themselves as different when comparing to other cultures, languages, and ethnicity's. When in reality we should be building more bridges instead of barriers. We should all feel connected with one another instead of divided and isolated by our beliefs. We all live on the same planet, we should all should feel connected.

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When I think of language, I picture a bridge. Knowing different languages and cultures connect us and allows us to communicate with everyone on the other side of the "bridge". Communication among people I feel is paramount in today's society, and we need to be connected as one.

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I feel that language has different importance to different people. Everyone speaks differently, with a different accent, vernacular, dialect, etc. and everyone thinks and processes information differently. The diversity of language even in our communities is fascinating, and it makes us who we are.

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I believe language is a very strong tool, and it can open your mind to endless possibilities and ideas. Personally, I only speak English, but my best friend is Chinese, and she speaks 3 different languages. I have been lucky enough to travel to China with her to see her home and her family, and I learned so much about the Chinese culture. Even without knowing their language, they were able to explain their ways of thinking to me, and I was able to gain so much knowledge on their way of life. Even with a language barrier between her family and me, we were able to communicate through signs and facial expressions. Language is such a powerful tool, and I am grateful to have had this experience! (Below is a picture of my friend and me, my tattoo says "Best Friends Forever" in the traditional Chinese language.)

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By adding a language I believe you are also adding depth to your own personal understanding of things. When you are multilingual you have 2+ vocabularies in your head. In this way, it changes how you think about things depending on what language you are utilizing in that moment. I believe this could give you the ability to be able to analyze things in ways a monolingual person simply can't do.

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Language to me is an expansion. I think it is an expansion not only in one's knowledge, but in one's circle of interaction. By learning another language you add a whole new group of people you might not have been able to talk with before. In that sense you are also exposing yourself to different ways of life, different perspectives, and different cultures.

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1. Read the quotes and/or proverbs
2.Think creatively about them
3. Add TWO slides to this LANGUAGE Padlet by clicking on the board or look for the pink circle with white sign on it and don't forget to put your name and last name on each slide
5. Explain the MEANING of Language for you with text & images
6. Add your creativity
Make sure you refer to the Evaluation rubric in BB/Grades/Padlet 1

The Padlet values 3 points

Due: Sunday, January 20, 2019, 11:59 p.m. E.T.