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Abstract

Language and national identity

Language influences the world-view of its user. Undoubtedly, language may affect the process of forming the world-view and educating an individual. The conception of language identity appears. It is a symbol of identity as such and contains an image of the world, system of values and mentality of a group to which the individual belongs. On the other hand, mentality is understood as a collective memory in which part of information has a “national-specific” character, therefore it is incomprehensible in a differentculture.
The question arises: If people are influenced through their language and by it they understand the social reality, does it mean that the reality may be changed when an individual uses a different system of signs? In other words, may a second language knowledge of a foreign language cause the reorganization of mentality? It is worth remembering that the secondary language identity appears when there is awareness: after all we can look at it in a different way.
Therefore, it is important to talk about a change in behaviour and even, in a way, alteration of the system of values of a person who is learning a foreign language because a change in the structure of thinking may lead to a change in national awareness through a language.