There are many variables that go into the social lives of human beings. We are hard wired to make connections with one another and we do so in our daily lives by having face-to-face interactions or using technology. Language is an integral component to social interaction. The article by Anijar (2003) was interesting because it discussed many Star Trek fan’s inclination to take classes for learning Klingon, the totally made up, science fiction language of the Klingons in the Star Trek franchise. The article even goes as far as saying it can help you learn the English language as Klingon does possess “grammatical structure, word arrangement and sound patterns” like the languages we speak on earth have. I have recently (past two months) been using duolingo to learn phrases of Italian and I can understand that learning another language really makes you think about the structures of language you already know. I find my self, comparing and contrasting Italian words and phrases to those of the English language. I guess I just never thought a language inspired by a science fiction world would have such an influence on people. Learning another language is also fun. Klingon is a notorious language for being upfront, otherworldly and has attracted many to learn it. There is still demand for learning this language because who knows if the “Klingons” will be the ones to invade earth. Interestingly enough, duolingo will have lessons on the Klingon language soon, which shows that learning it is still in demand.
Something else that has been borrowed from star trek and other science fiction futuristic/ space movies is technology. I found this really intersecting article that shows the different types of technology that were used in star trek before the conventional computer was even made let alone found as a necessity in households nation wide.
The evolution of technology takes me back to the article we read a few week ago and the line by Saunders, "science fiction is the genre of the unknown, but imaginable." (p. 151).” Much like the Klingon language it is interesting how technology has seeped into our lives because innovators took the imaginable and made it real. This was the premise of creating the Klingon language; taking something that was not real and making it a real thing to enhance the experience of the imaginable.
References
Karen Anijar. Teaching Toward the 24th Century: Star Trek as Social Curriculum (Pedagogy and Popular Culture). New York: Falmer Press, 2003
Robert Saunders. “Imperial Imaginaries: Employing Science Fiction to Talk About Geopolitics.” Popular Culture and World Politics: Theories, Methods, and Pedagogies. Caso and Hamilton, Eds. Pp. 149-159.
References
Karen Anijar. Teaching Toward the 24th Century: Star Trek as Social Curriculum (Pedagogy and Popular Culture). New York: Falmer Press, 2003
Robert Saunders. “Imperial Imaginaries: Employing Science Fiction to Talk About Geopolitics.” Popular Culture and World Politics: Theories, Methods, and Pedagogies. Caso and Hamilton, Eds. Pp. 149-159.