Adriana Umaña Hossman, PhD

In my opinion, to really know a language is the result of a long learning process.  In most cases, a lifetime of speaking a language translates into good usage of its grammar and correct sentence constructions, but it does not guarantee that mistakes will not be made.  The majority of people are driven to use dictionaries even in their native languages, which to me, is the best example that learning a language is a never-ending process.  It is important to note that languages are living entities and because of that, every day they evolve and grow: new words must be created to signify and give meaning to things, processes and environments that did not exist before.  Our world changes therefore language must change.  We could define knowing a language with a really “loose” definition and say that to know a language means that the person, who claims to know it, is able to communicate her thoughts to others in that particular language.  However, communication has many levels that vary in directness, intimacy, and expertise, which make it difficult to give a definition of what “knowing a language” means.  Similarly, it is worthy to note that languages do not exist on a vacuum.  They are mirrors that reflect social and cultural values of those that communicate through its constructions.  So, knowing a language must also comprise knowing about the culture and society that uses it for communicating.  To conclude, I would like to reflect on what Noam Chomsky said about language:
“Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.”