Hey, my name is Kathy and I'm also a freshman at Stanford. I am undeclared, but considering majoring in biology or human biology. I am on a pre-med track, with a possible intention of becoming a doctor.

I wanted to take this class because it seems like it will be able to string together many questions I have had about the influence of language amongst people and creation of society. Languages are our main choice of communication, and it is important to study them in order to make the best of our communication skills. I mean, not only studying languages, but how they impact our growth, thinking, and perspective.

As an immigrant from Poland, I was exposed to many languages at a young age. I am fluent in Polish, which is the sole language I speak at home. Sometimes English words trickle in, and we watch some English tv, but I generally speak to my family in Polish. Thus, my reading, writing, and speaking skills have developed on their own in this language. I recall during my first year of American school bringing home cassettes and books that would help me learn English. My mom and I listened to and read these together. Like I said before, I initially believed that when you speak a different language, the other person hears you in Polish. Wasn't I a patriotic little girl? Hahaha...

I hope that with this class, along with continuing my studies in Spanish and maybe other languages, I can gain a new perspective on culture and society. It's always interesting to note the influence of culture in a person's belief and speech (such as much of the less developed world believes in home remedies as opposed to western medicine - important to note as a doctor when speaking with patients). However, it's time to establish a further understanding by analyzing the impact of language on cognitive thinking, beliefs, and structure of society in order to understand others beyond a comprehension of words.