The value of language: What a machine can’t grasp | Metaglossia: The Translation World | Scoop.it
From www.michigandaily.com - August 13, 8:07 PM

Language is more than how we understand words; it’s how we understand ourselves. AI may soon master the mechanical side of language, translating A to B. Machines, though, can only conceptualize language as an end — we use language as a means.

In 2022, the launch of the large language model ChatGPT shook the world. It answered niche questions with neatly summarized paragraphs, leapfrogging a labyrinth of manual searches. Overnight, all the information in the world became more than just accessible, but deliverable on a platter by a machine fluent in every language. 

This revolution raises a pertinent question: Why learn other languages? Philosophical questions such as this one were not on my mind when I set off to study abroad for seven weeks in Barcelona, Spain. My experience, however, gave me insight into the value of language, beyond direct communication and into the untranslatable, shaping how we identify ourselves and with others.

I’d heard before about Barcelona’s identity crisis. As the capital of Catalonia, one of 17 autonomous regions in Spain, its history is one of yearning for self-determination in the face of repression. Activism persists today, most notably in 2017 with an unconstitutional and unsuccessful independence referendum. I’d read in “The New Spaniards” by John Hooper that Catalans’ pride in their culture is enduring — particularly in their language, Catalan. But not until I arrived did it dawn on me just how alive the identity question was.

This cultural distinctiveness was evident right upon deplaning. All signs were in written Catalan, Spanish (officially called Castilian) and English. While waiting at customs, I overheard bemused tourists consult each other on what this language was, settling eventually on “classic Spanish.” 

Later, before orientation, I chatted in clumsy Spanish with some local students. Jet lag blurred the day, but one moment is branded in my memory. The topic of Catalan came up, and I rattled off the handful of words I’d prepared for my trip: “bon día” (good morning), “gràcies” (thank you), “si us plau” (please). Out of the corner of my eye, one girl whipped around. “That’s Catalan!” she exclaimed. “How do you know that?” Even now, I can remember how her eyes lit up.

 

Week by week, I became more attuned to how language shapes culture. As I befriended locals, I was shocked by their disconnect from Spanish. They were fluent but rarely used it; they laughed at the accent. None identified as Spanish but as Catalan, whether they supported independence or not. 

One friend described their mistrust toward Madrid to me while we watched the national police march into towns during the referendum. While visiting Madrid, I got to speak to a local with an opposing perspective. She found it “regrettable” that Spain viewed Catalonia as part of itself, despite disagreement from the Catalonians. At one point, she even requested that I don’t speak Catalan to her when I said “plaça” instead of “plaza.” It was a full circle moment, showing that language divides as well as unites.

Barcelona also spoke Catalan. All signs were in Catalan. The Catalan coat of arms adorned public buildings. Catalan flags and pro-independence flags dotted apartment balconies while the national flags were few and far between. When I watched the city’s livestream of the FC Barcelona Femení women’s soccer team playing the UEFC Champions League — where else but in Plaça de Catalunya? — every flag in the crowd sported the Catalonian stripes; the team crest itself even wears the Catalan flag.

 

With all that I’d soaked in from my trip, I found myself reflecting on the function and value of language. Much of my learning came during meals that stretched for hours, chatting with friends over emptied plates; in this culture, eating is more than sustenance — it’s social communion. In the same manner, language is more than a technical tool, but a window into culture. 

This is why my local friends, though able to navigate perfectly in three languages, defended Catalan being the dominant language on the street and in school. Language is more than how we understand words; it’s how we understand ourselves.

AI may soon master the mechanical side of language, translating A to B. Machines, though, can only conceptualize language as an end — we use language as a means. Rather than rendering language learning obsolete, our advancing machines make it more important. After all, ChatGPT is brilliant because it’s trained on all the texts we’ve written — our history, culture, reflections. Connecting with each other through language is what connects us with humanity. 

With seven weeks behind me, I said goodbye to the friends I’d made. I realized that no one said their final goodbye to me in Spanish, even though I don’t speak Catalan. It came to them instinctively, it was heartfelt and I understood them anyway. Their sentiment transcended language.

LSA sophomore Lillian Wu can be reached at lilyfw@umich.edu.