The Relationship Between Language, Identity and Cultural Differences: A Critical Review

Abstract

The interrelationships between these terms: language, identity and cultural differences have become a major focus for many cultural researchers and social theorists. It is known that language, identity and cultural differences influence each other and are connected closely to each other. Stuart Hall explained the relationship between them in his article which provided a deeper understanding between the interrelationships among them. This research will review critically Hall’s work in the following ways. It will start by discussing the key terms definitions of Language, identity and cultural differences. Thereafter, Hall’s theory regarding the interrelationships among these concepts will be discussed in detail. The connections between these concepts will be illustrated by providing some personal examples. Furthermore, some limitations where Hall’s theory may fail to address will be presented. This review research aims at offering a deeper understanding of the connections between Language, identity and cultural differences which could assist learners to equip more knowledge about these concepts for their future studies or works.

Keywords: Identity, language, cultural difference, interpretation, Hall’s theory.