LAuberge Espagnole

Friedrich Nietzsche did not support the argument that language is a mediator of
knowledge. It was implied that there is no actual truth because what is true for some individuals
may not be true to others. His discovery of the lack of truth, in the sense of a correspondence
between words and things, supports the argument that the world, and everything in it, is a
product of humancreativity.

In the movie, language can be seen as either a binder or a border, socially and culturally.
It is vital to ones identification of themselves, of others and how others identify them in return.
This definition plays a big role in linguistic standards and stereotypes as portrayed in the movie.
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An example of a scenario in which language is being used as a standard would be that
Xavier went to Barcelona to study Spanish in order to qualify for a job in the Ministry of
Finance. Stereotypes were abundant in the movie. Foreign origins, inclusive of their languages,
often work as a cultural and social border. Persons are seen to be how their race usually is, thus,
the identities of their countries seemed to define them respectively. The movie deliberately used
clichs in an attempt to show what is inside rather than what is outside, better known stereotypes,
to our subconscious minds. Social and cultural misconceptions were embraced in a way that old-
fashioned thinking towards identity is altered. It was meant to open minds and to deviate from
the usual perceptions and stereotypes of the majority towards others and also to discover
themselves more.

Other socio-cultural issues related to language include: language as a means of conveying
ideas and information but at times, it fails in doing so in a manner that it sends the wrong
message; language as a key to social ties wherein friends are easily gained because of
commonalities; language as medium of effective communication as shown in their setting at the
apartment; language being territorial as shown in the medium of teaching of their professor who
used Catalan, not taking into consideration the 20 Erasmus students in his class; language as a
form of expression of ones self which was also what triggered Xavier to not take the job at the
Ministry of Finance in the end and make his dream of being a writer come to reality, thus, the
birth of the LAuberge Espagnole.

Language was shown as either a binder or a border in different scenarios in the movie.
But in the end, it was concluded that language does not separate but unites instead. Indeed, there
can be unity in diversity.