Editing Cultural identity (section)

==Language==
Language allows for people in a group to communicate their values, beliefs, and customs, all of which contribute to creating a cultural identity. It was for a long time believed that if children lose their languages, they lose part or all of their cultural identity.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Mercuri |first=Sandra |date=November 6, 2012 |title=Understanding the Interconnectedness between Language Choices, Cultural Identity Construction and School Practices in the Life of a Latina Educator. |url=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1062590.pdf |journal=Gist Education and Learning Research Journal |volume=6 |pages=12–43 |via=ERIC}}</ref> When students who are non-native English speakers, go to classes where they are required to speak only English, they feel that their native language has no value. Some studies found, that this leads to loss of their culture and language altogether and this can lead to either a massive change in cultural identity, or they find themselves struggling to understand who they are.<ref name=":0" /> Language also includes the way people speak with peers, family members, authority figures, and strangers, including the tone and familiarity that is included in the language. The learning process can also be affected by cultural identity via the understanding of specific words, and the preference for specific words when learning and using a [[Multilingualism|second language]]. Since many aspects of a person's cultural identity can be changed, such as citizenship or influence from outside cultures, language is a major component of cultural identity. However, more recent research could show, that language may be not a crucial part of a person's identity or cultural identity.<ref>Stefanie Siebenhütter: The multilingual profile and its impact on identity: Approaching the difference between multilingualism and multilingual identity or linguistic identity. Ampersand. 10 (2023) 100123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2023.100123</ref>