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HelpRe: Question about names and cultures
in reply to a message by RegalAmethyst
I don't think American/English names will be really generic. Naming your child Madison in China is still a statement. America is certainly dominant but sometimes that helps people define and strengthen their idea of cultural identity in contrast. Anyway, in America itself there's an interest in avoiding the generic and making a name unique. I hope globalisation will make more people aware of different cultures and their value and our common humanity etc...at it's best I think it's a very worthwhile thing.
What worries me is the complacency a lot of English speakers pick up, where we don't bother learning other languages or promoting it because everyone will speak English. I think learning another language gives you a different frame for thinking and is really important and beneficial, and I wish we emphasised it more in education. I think it can put us at a great disadvantage. It might be better in America where Spanish is also a major language, for me in England there was a fairly half-hearted compromise between French and German. It would be nice if other British languages were mentioned in the English curriculum too. Bit of a digression but names and languages are pretty tied up together.
What worries me is the complacency a lot of English speakers pick up, where we don't bother learning other languages or promoting it because everyone will speak English. I think learning another language gives you a different frame for thinking and is really important and beneficial, and I wish we emphasised it more in education. I think it can put us at a great disadvantage. It might be better in America where Spanish is also a major language, for me in England there was a fairly half-hearted compromise between French and German. It would be nice if other British languages were mentioned in the English curriculum too. Bit of a digression but names and languages are pretty tied up together.
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