Language plays a crucial role in any culture. It is how people communicate, build relationships, and create a sense of community. Through language, we express our feelings and thoughts, and it also helps shape our identity.

I come from South Africa, which has 11 official languages, each with unique regional variations. Language allows us to convey unique ideas and customs within different cultures and societies. When I visit my family in the Kalahari, I enjoy the beautiful words, descriptions, and accents of Kalahari Afrikaans. Charl often comments that it sounds like we speak an entirely different language.

Language evolves as social groups change

Our way of speaking can even shift during different stages of our lives. I noticed how my children’s language and word choices changed, reflecting the influence of their social circles. As university students, our language has also transformed. My dad found some of the new words we used amusing. He even tried to incorporate them into his work meetings, which made his colleagues laugh.

Integration in a country with a different language

We live in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, where several dialects, collectively known as Swiss German, are spoken across different regions. Understanding Swiss German is challenging for us. Even native Germans who speak High German sometimes struggle with it. Mastering a new language is the key to immersing yourself in a new country.

At Zander’s international school, language plays a crucial role. The school community consist of families from all over the world, covering various native languages. Some families often relocate frequently, which means their children must adapt to and learn the local language of each new country they move to. In many cases, the parents have themselves grown up in different countries with different native languages, leading to children who are fluent in multiple languages.

Zander’s poem on language and its impact on identity

After our move to Switzerland, Zander had to work hard to elevate his English skills to a native level. He also had to learn German as a second language and Spanish as a third. As part of his grade 10 curriculum, Zander had to write a poem about the effect of language on identity.

I share his poem, in which he beautifully reflects on his different linguistic identities with you.

Between Tongues

Afrikaans, the voice of my source,
Where “hoesit” echoes, and “lekker” supports,
It’s the language of rugby, of cricket games,
Of visits home, and calls for birthdays,
In Afrikaans, I say “I miss you” in words that know,
A time much simpler, of places long ago.

English, the language you can’t ignore,
A tool you need if you want to explore,
The language of strangers, now friends I find,
In corridors where new beginnings unwind,
It’s the voice of the world, the one you must know,
The voice I use when my past lets go.

German, the tongue of my new country’s streets,
Where friendships grow through no easy feats,
I’ve learned to connect, talk, and share,
In a tongue that still feels foreign, yet fair.
Though fluency is still a time away,
My expressivity grows with each passing day.

Spanish, a language I’m still working to speak,
Learned in class, though my skills are nothing unique
With Spanish, I interact with people I meet,
Brief encounters, but memories that stay complete.

Afrikaans, for family and past ties,
English, for school and global eyes,
German, for shopping and navigating new streets,
Spanish for travelling and exploring new feats.

Four voices, like rivers, converging in me,
Each one shapes how I see the world around me,

With Afrikaans, I’m the child, of my roots
With English, I navigate global pursuits,
With German, I handle daily tasks and more,
With Spanish, I explore and open new doors.

Four languages, four worlds, all part of my soul,
All built connections. Each uniquely fills a hole.

Groete, Regards, Grüße

Emsia