Quotes About Language

There was a time in my life when I used the word 'crap' regularly and unthinkingly.

I watch movies regularly, especially Kannada films.

I couldn't speak Japanese very well, passport regulations were changing, I felt British, and my future was in Britain. And it would also make me eligible for literary awards. But I still think I'm regarded as one of their own in Japan.

People often ask how I can reject the phrase 'woman writer' and not reject the phrase 'Jewish writer' - a preposterous question. 'Jewish' is a category of civilization, culture, and intellect, and 'woman' is a category of anatomy and physiology.

I didn't want to read French or write it; it was like a boycott, a rejection.

I always gravitate towards anything from Ireland. With Irish lit, I love the use of language, but also in many instances, the Irish writers are writing about people and circumstances that I can relate to.

If you talk about language in the Caribbean, you must relate it to history.

There's a lot I'd like to be able to talk about with relation to Stephen Harper, particularly why is he afraid to debate in English?

But in Japanese, there's actually not much of a relationship between the music and the words.

For most women, the language of conversation is primarily a language of rapport: a way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships.

You only have to look at London, where almost half of all primary school children speak English as a second language, to see the challenges we now face as a country. This isn't fair to anyone: how can people build relationships with their neighbours if they can't even speak the same language?

I was always taught that Latin, Caribbean people were cousins to me, as well as blues was a cousin to me, as well as Africans were direct relatives to me. It was all a part of my language.

If I have written anything, a person will comment using abusive language if they feel it's wrong. Why can't you relax and write properly.

I'm far more relaxed with German. I'm a control freak. I like to know exactly who's saying and doing what.

As I am a Bengali and am used to conversing in Bengali and English, I thought my Hindi would show an accent.

I studied Hindi in school and that's come in handy.

I am learning to speak Hindi.

Language is not a barrier, specially Hindi. It is the only language I read, write and speak in and so it is far easier than South Indian languages.

My Hindi was not very good, but I guess people liked my accent and gave me Hindi roles.

There are quality films being made in all languages, whether in Hindi cinema, Bengali or the south. Bollywood doesn't represent Indian cinema, per say.

I watch lots of movies, both English and Hindi.

I never really thought it was so important to work in Hindi movies.

I don't care what anybody says, there's nothing like the cultural influence of hip-hop. For me, hip-hop culture is involved in everything - it's in me, in who I am, in how I dress, how I talk. It's in my son and my wife.

Hip-hop, which is my generation's blues, is important to the characters that I write about. They use hip-hop to understand the world through language.