Word for language and culture

Culture and language are strongly interconnected. The relationship between them is debatable and several questions pop up in your mind when you try to understand how the language and culture are linked.

Do you know whether culture came first or language? What is the difference between them? Can one of them exist without the other?

For a clear understanding of the relationship between language and culture, it is better to get familiar with their definitions first.

What is Culture?

Culture is defined as a blend of thought patterns and characteristics of a group of people.

The word culture is derived from the Latin term colere which means to grow something from the earth so when people interact with each other, they grow together which forms their culture.

Usually, the term culture is defined using external aspects such as language, traditions, religion, arts, and cuisine. But, culture is something deeper than these factors. It refers to the way we think and interacts with those around us. 

How You Perceive the Diverse Cultures Existing in the Society is known as Your Cultural Lens

Interestingly, people living in the same society having similar characteristics may have different cultural views and ideas which depend on several different factors. Thus, it is important to mention that different people living together can have their own ideas and their cultural lens may vary.

What is Language?

Language is the medium of communication using which we express our thoughts and ideas and interact with others.

Tidbit: Over 700 languages are spoken across the globe.

Some of the languages evolved from the others while many languages are traced back thousands of years.  However, the origin of the first-spoken human language is still unknown.

“Language is the Roadmap of a Culture”

 (Rita Mae Brown)

You might find it surprising to know that the same language spoken in different regions sound a bit different. Yes, dialectical differences exist for many popular languages because of the cultural impact.

For instance, the French spoken in France is different from Canadian French. Likewise, many languages have different regional dialects.

How Culture is Related to Language?

“Changes in Language Often Reflect the Changing Values of a Culture”

(Ravi Zacharias)

Language and culture are interlinked and you cannot learn one of these without having a clear understanding of the other. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica,

language is linked to all the human-life aspects in society, and understanding of the surrounding culture plays an important role in learning a language. Moreover, language allows the organization and evolution of cultural values.

Language is Needed for Effective Expression and Transmission of Culture.

A renowned linguist Ken Hale shares his views on the culture-language relationship. He says that when a language is lost, a part of the culture gets lost as well as Culture is significantly encoded in language.

Culture impacts our core traditions, values, and the way we interact with others in society. On the other hand, language makes those interactions easy. Simply put, language facilitates social interactions while culture helps us to learn how to behave and interact with others.

Language or Culture-Which Came First?

Language is an integral part required for the establishment of culture.

Communication is a basic human need, right? From the start, human beings are communicating and interacting with each other in different ways. Thus, for obvious reasons, the language came first.

Language is the source as well as the essence of a culture.

With time, many languages evolved, and today, a large number of languages are spoken across the world. Do You Know?

Out of over 7000 languages, only 200 languages currently exist in both spoken and written forms while many of the languages are extinct now.

It won’t be wrong to say that language complexity increased over time and so did cultural diversity. The languages evolve, primarily because of their association with culture.

Evolution of Language and Culture

Do you know what is common between language and culture? Both are continuously changing!

For instance, the English language that we use today is way different from the old English. Similarly, you can identify several differences between the old western culture and the new one.

Without Culture, no language can exist.

Both language and culture experience drastic changes over time. Therefore, you cannot expect a 10-year-old chile and a 70-year-old man to share an identical culture and exact the same language even if they leave in the same locality.

How Do Language and Culture Influence Our Personal Identity?

Both language and culture play a significant role in shaping your personality.

Culture tells you how to interact with others and helps to shape values and ethics. Besides, it keeps you close to like-minded people and thus,  the sense of belonging strengthens your bond with society. 

On the other hand, language is like a tool using which you express your culture. In fact, cultural ideas and beliefs are transmitted ahead via language.

Furthermore, both the culture and language allow us to peek into the past and shape our ideas. How We think, speak and interact with others around us is determined by our cultural values. Likewise, language also impacts human thoughts.

As mentioned earlier, language and culture continue to evolve and so does our personality. As we meet people belonging to different cultures, we get to learn more and explore more, and interaction with them can impact your personality as well.

Want to Learn a Foreign Language? Learn about Culture First!

The understanding of a culture can greatly help in learning any foreign language. If you are interested in learning one or more foreign languages, you must study the culture of the respective regions.

It is rightly said that ‘Action Speaks Louder than Words. For effective communication with a foreign audience, you must be aware of their cultural nuances.

Thus, culture and language are intertwined and you cannot set them apart. If you want to improve your linguistic skills for a second language, you must tackle both the culture and language side by side.

The Last Word:

The more you know about the cultural background of a language, the faster you can learn that language.

If you aspire to learn any foreign language, remember that understanding culture is going to be an integral part of your learning journey.

For learning any language, it is essentially important to know about the culture of the people who speak that language.

In addition to having expertise in the language, you also need to consider socio-cultural aspects and learn how to properly address people in that foreign language. 

To cut a long story short, language and culture are inseparable.

Read More:

Impact of Cultural Differences in Global Businesses

IELTS > IELTS Vocabulary > Culture Vocabulary List: Most Common Words And Phrases

Culture Vocabulary List: Most Common Words And Phrases

Culture Vocabulary List: Most Common Words And Phrases

In this post, we’ll be covering the topic of culture in all of its forms. Below you’ll find a compilation of useful terms to strengthen your English vocabulary, so that next time you’ll be visiting cultural places, you’ll know everything you need to discuss art. This article will therefore address vocabulary words on the following topics:

• Culture/Music;
• Art (Writing and Painting);
• Cinema/Cultural Activities;

Ready to learn the terminology related to the world of culture? Let’s dive right in by defining today’s subject matter. Culture.

Whether you wish to take the IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, CAE, FCE, BRIDGE, BULATS (Linguaskill) or even the BRIGHT ENGLISH, you need to enhance your English vocabulary in order to prepare for your test. It is also crucial to learn new vocabulary words if you wish to learn English on your own! We have have made a long list of vocabulary worksheets:

• Anthropology Vocabulary
• Chemistry Vocabulary
• Stock Market Vocabulary
• Real Estate Vocabulary
• Purchase Vocabulary
• Product Vocabulary
• Research Vocabulary
• Phone Vocabulary
• Payment Vocabulary
• Office Supplies Vocabulary
• Management Vocabulary
• Law Vocabulary
• Human Resources Vocabulary
• The Factory Vocabulary
• Vocabulary List: Bank and Finance
• Computer Vocabulary
• Marketing Vocabulary
• Social Media Vocabulary
• Meteorology Vocabulary
• Architecture Vocabulary
• Sociology Vocabulary

What Is the Meaning and the Definition of Culture?

The English word culture takes its roots in the Latin word cultura, which stands for grow, farm, or honor. Cultura itself derives from the noun colere, which means both grow and celebrate.

In this instance, culture can be defined as the shared values, traditions, norms, customs, arts, and traditions of a group of people across any domain such as art, religion, science, language or food.

In English, the word culture encompasses various—and sometimes opposite—meanings. Today, we won’t be talking about the culture of the land : farming ; but about the culture of the art.

Culture Vocabulary: General Terms Around the Notion of Culture

Let’s start by learning about common terms used to discuss Culture, with a capital C.

Word	Definition
Beliefs	ideas shared among a group of people
Cultural Institution	established organization working for the preservation of culture
Design	to draw plans showing the look and function of any object before it is made
Dialect	form of a language specific to a region or social group
Diffusion	spreading of a concept or idea widely
Ethic	set of moral principles shared by a group or a field
Heritage	legacy of cultural resources in a group or society
Knowledge	facts and skills acquired through education or experience
Mores	customs and norms of a society or a community
Research	thorough study of a field to reach new conclusions
Resources	documentation of past work that can be used to conduct new studies
Study	detailed investigation of a subject or a field
Values	moral principles and beliefs that serve to assess the importance of things

Music Vocabulary: General Terms Around the Notion of Music

Now that we’ve seen terms around the notion of culture, it’s time to channel your inner musician and learn practical words to talk about the music craft.

The components of Music

Music is an intricate art revolving around many different sonorities put together. Here are some of its main components:

Word	Definition
Acoustic	raw performance of a song without electric amplifier
Beat	basic unit of time, tempo, and rhythm used in music theory
Chorus	repetitive part of a song
Chords	two or more notes played together
Collaborate (collab)	to work with another artist to produce a song
Lyrics	written words composing a song
Melody	notes forming a song
Rhythm	pattern of beats and sounds present in a song

Music Genres and Important Terms

Like any art form, music has tons of different genres :

Word	Definition
Blues	secular folk music born in the early 20th century created by African Americans
Classical music	traditional music following established principles
Pop music	popular music genre with easy to remember beats and lyrics
Rap	speaking in rhymes over hip-hop instrumental
Record	disc where the music is recorded, imprinted, and sold / synonym of song and track
Reggae music	music genre born in Jamaica in the 1960s recognizable for its engaged lyrics, drum and bass downbeat, and its offbeat rhythm
Rock music	rhythmic music with a heavy presence of guitar, drums, and bass
Sample	reuse of a portion of a song in another song
Set	series of songs performed one after the other
Singer	person who speaks melodically over a song
Single	song released digitally or physically on its own
Track	synonym of song and record

Art Vocabulary: General Terms Around the Notion of Art

In this section, we’ll be highlighting the most important terms related to the art of writing and painting.

Written Art

You’ll find below some key terms about the writing craft and the different genres of books.

Word	Definition
Biography	book around someone’s life
Drama	type of story which involves conflict and tragedy among characters
Essay	concise piece of writing on a particular subject
Memoir	nonfiction narrative writings based on personal memories
Literature	written works widely praised
Novel	fiction prose narrative dealing with human experience
Poetry	literary work which revolves around the expression of feelings through the use of style and rhythms
Quill	writing tool made from a feather, which was dipped into ink to write on paper
Romance	written work that places its primary focus on the romantic relationship between two characters
Scenario	written outline of a film
Typewriter	mechanical machine used to type characters on a sheet of paper

Art of Painting

In this list, you’ll learn terms about painting styles and techniques.

Word	Definition
Brushstroke	way of applying paint to a surface with a brush
Calligraphy	art of decorative handwriting
Canvas	piece of cloth used by an artist to paint on
Contrast	juxtaposition of opposite tones and color in a work of art
Cubism	early 20th-century movement revolving around the use of simple geometric shapes
Expressionism	artistic style in which the image of reality is distorted to better express the artist’s feelings or ideas
Gouache	paint consisting of a mix of natural pigment, water, and binding agents
Impressionism	French 19th-century style of painting that attempts to capture the feeling of a scene rather than its details
Landscape	genre of art depicting natural scenery
Palette	spectrum of colors used in a painting
Pastel	paste made of pigment used to make crayons
Perspective	representation of three-dimensional objects in two-dimensional artworks
Pigment	coloring substance of paint derived from natural or synthetic sources
Portrait	painting depicting only the face or the head of shoulders of a person
Sketch	rough drawing made to assist in making a finished painting
Solvent	liquid used for dissolving another substance allowing to clean or mix paint

Places of Art

You’ll find here some of the most common places where art is displayed to the public.

Word	Definition
Exhibition	public display of works of art
Gallery	room in which people look at works of art
Museum	building in which objects of art, culture, history or science are displayed to the public
Theatre	building in which plays, shows or motion pictures are displayed

Cinema Vocabulary: General Terms Around the Notion of Cinema

Talking about theatre, let’s now see the main terms related to the art of making motion pictures movies: the Seventh Art. Cinema.

Word	Definition
Act	to perform in a movie or a play
Box office	place where tickets are bought / commercial success of a film
Camera angle	point of view from where the camera is filming
Cast	group of actors chosen by the director to play parts in a movie
Credits	list of people involved in the production of a film
Dialogue	written conversations between characters of a play
Distribution	process of diffusion of a movie to make it available to a wide audience
Dub	to translate dialogues of a film in a different language
Film studio	room used to shoot movies
Movie	a recording of moving images that tell a story
Plot	written events of a film
Premiere	first public performance of a new film
Scenario	written outline of a film
Screenplay	script and shooting directions of a movie
Set	location where a movie or scene is shot
Shot	series of frame produced by having the camera in a certain position
Stunt	dangerous physical feat, popular in action movies
Subtitle	transcript or translation of dialogues displayed at the bottom of the screen
Take	single continuous recorded experience
Voice-over	narration made by someone who doesn’t appear on-screen

Common Sentences Related to Cultural Activities

Now that you know the important terms to talk about each and every cultural activity, it’s time to see how they’re used in a sentence.

Speaking about Art

• Pablo Picasso produced more than 150.000 works of art, making him the world’s most prolific painter in the history of mankind.
• The Louvre is the largest museum in France.
• Besides being one of the most well-known writers in the world, William Shakespeare also used to be an established actor.

Speaking about Cinema

• He went to the flicks with his friends.
• This thriller was a huge box-office success.
• The producer chose a young actor to play the lead role in its movie.

Speaking about Music

• This pop song has catchy melodies that linger in the mind.
• Playing the piano requires great hand-eye coordination.
• In 2020, rap music was the most popular type of music among youngsters, while rock music was at an all-time low.

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2021-10-20T15:37:06+02:0017/09/2021|

Having a good vocabulary will give you the confidence you will need to present yourself well and score high marks in the IELTS exam. The writing section is one of the sections of the four-sectioned IELTS exam. A good and strong vocabulary lays the foundation for both your tasks in the writing section. An enhanced yet simple vocabulary for culture vocabulary IELTS will keep the examiner engaged and make them more interested in your answer script.

The answer is judged on four criteria:

1. Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
2. Lexical Resource (25%)
3. Task Achievement (25%)
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%) 

This blog contains a list of words for culture and society vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2 and their meanings. 

What is Writing Task 2? 

Writing Task 2 is one of the two tasks of the writing section. The answer should be written in about 250 words and should be crisp and to the point. The candidate has to have good analytical thinking and logical reasoning to answer the question. You will be given a specific topic to answer, and you need to pen down your views on the same. You will have 40 minutes to complete the task. 

In this blog, we will talk about one of the popular topics of Writing task 2, Culture. This blog contains a list of culture vocabulary IELTS commonly requires. It will help you learn the word with its meaning and also how to use it in a sentence. Also read this blog to build a profound vocabulary for other sections.

Culture is one of the popular and well-known topics for IELTS. Here are the words of culture vocabulary for IELTS that will prove to be a great aid in writing an answer with a strong structure and apt language.

Culture

Meaning: The way of life for a group of people or community, i.e., similar food, music, culture, religion, etc.

Example: India is a land of culture and tradition. 

Heritage

Meaning: Something that is passed on/inherited generation after generation

Example: These monuments are a part of national heritage.

Values

Meaning: The morals and beliefs of an individual 

Example: He is a man with high moral values. 

Stereotype

Meaning: A generalised belief or idea about a particular race or certain group of people

Example: Blond people are often stereotyped as not being smart. 

Prejudice

Meaning: A negative opinion about a person or a group without directly knowing them that is often based on stereotypes. 

Example: He has a prejudice about fast-food restaurants. 

Cultural Diversity 

Meaning: The differences between different cultures

Example: Cultural diversity is high in countries that have been accepting immigrants for many years.

Culture Shock

Meaning: A feeling of confusion or disorientation when one is subjected to an unfamiliar culture or a way of life. 

Example: Foriegn students often experience culture shock.

Discrimination

Meaning: Unfair treatment based on prejudice of a person or a group

Example: It is unethical to discriminate against people because of their gender or culture.

Currency 

Meaning: The money used in a particular country

Example: The currency of India is Rupees.

Global

Meaning: All over the world

Example: Global culture is a common phenomenon these days, transcending  nations. 

Mythology

Meaning: A fictional, classic story from the past that carries meaning

Example: He studies Greek and Roman mythology.

Culture diffusion

Meaning: The spreading of culture from one region of the world to another

Example: Historically, cultural diffusion and hybridisation have occurred through migration, colonial conquest and domination.

Globalisation

Meaning: Local phenomena transformed into global ones

Example: We are living in an era of economic globalisation.

Cultural norms

Meaning: Standard and expected behaviour or ideas

Example: There were a number of clear cultural norms in the highest performing arts.

Fine art

Meaning: Art made by famous or acclaimed artists 

Example: This is a fine art, and the rewards are considerable. 

Cultural heritage

Meaning: The legacy of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations

Example: It is important to protect cultural heritage.

Linguistic

Meaning: The adjective standing for ‘about language’

Example: I am looking for a linguistic course to learn a foreign language. 

Civilisation

Meaning: A society with advanced development

Example: Farmers are the founders of civilisation and prosperity. 

Lingua franca

Meaning: A common language used by people who speak other varied languages as their native tongue

Example: English is the lingua franca of many nations.

Conformity 

Meaning: Accepting the customs to fit in and adapt to the culture of where you reside

Example: The corporate culture demands a certain conformity of appearance.

Multicultural

Meaning: A group of people with different beliefs and customs

Example: Surat is a multicultural city due to its history of trade and tourism.

Segregation

Meaning: Separation of a group of people based on race, religion, skin color, etc.

Example: They fought to end the segregation of public schools.

Folklore

Meaning: Old stories and myths, usually transmitted verbally 

Example: In Irish folklore, the leprechaun has large pieces of gold.

Ceremonies

Meaning: Similar to rituals, often involving people in authority

Example: There will be a ceremony honoring the town’s veterans next week. 

Cultural traditions

Meaning: Traditions carrying cultural importance 

Example: Cultural traditions prevent an honest look at environmental realities. 

Conclusion

There are many traditional words as part of the culture vocabulary IELTS tasks require. Learning them will help you score better in the writing tasks of the IELTS exam and build your vocabulary as well. IELTS may just be your ticket to countries like Australia, UK, USA and more! To learn more about IELTS and other exams, Visit the leapscholar blog. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you ever learn a language without understanding its culture? There are some who would prefer to simply learn to speak the words, and leave issues of understanding culture at the door. Others say this isn’t really possible, that to learn a language you must also learn about its culture.

So which is it? If we look at language as simply a network of words and phrases, language learning becomes lifeless and robotic. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but such an approach would omit layers of meaning behind the words.

Understanding culture puts you in touch with the development and etymologies of the language, such that a culture-free language learning process would never enable the user to fully understand the language, no matter how well they might learn to parrot it.

To really unlock a language, to understand it at its roots, understanding culture is key. Here are a few reasons why the two go hand in hand.

Related Post: Preserving Culture and Tradition in the Modern World

Understanding Culture and Language are Intertwined

Understanding language is understanding culture. To put a finer point on it, language is culture. The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition defines culture as:

The shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group.

‘Cognitive constructs’ and learned, socialized patterns surely include language, but aren’t limited to it. Therefore we can say that all language is a part of culture; all culture is related directly or indirectly to language. Scholarly consensus on the definition of understanding culture supports this:

More Definitions of Culture

Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another.

–Geert Hofstede
Professor Emeritus of Organizational Anthropology
Maastricht University

Most social scientists today view culture as consisting primarily of the symbolic, ideational, and intangible aspects of human societies. The essence of a culture is not its artifacts, tools, or other tangible cultural elements but how the members of the group interpret, use, and perceive them. It is the values, symbols, interpretations, and perspectives that distinguish one people from another in modernized societies; it is not material objects and other tangible aspects of human societies. People within a culture usually interpret the meaning of symbols, artifacts, and behaviors in the same or in similar ways.

–James A. Banks
Director of the Center for Multicultural Education
University of Washington

Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.

—Live Science

a. The integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations

b. The customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also: the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time

c. The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization

d. The set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic

—Merriam Webster

The common themes here are patterns, beliefs, interactions and learned behavior.  These all show in language. In this way we can see that, although language is not the same as culture, it is a reflection of it. Understanding language is understanding culture.

Related Post: The Importance of Culture in Strategic Marketing

Other Components of Culture

Culture is not limited to language. It includes or manifests in other components like food, art, mythology, values and etiquette. These, in turn, all have a reciprocal impact on language. How can food culture or discussions of art exist without a linguistic framework?

And by the same token, how can we understand a language without acknowledging the role that these other cultural components play in them? Understanding culture is a comprehensive task that includes language learning. Language learning is inseparable from understanding culture in its other manifestations.

Food

One of the most heated debates an American can ever get into is talking to an Italian about pizza. The latter might swear up and down that traditional Neapolitan pizza is the only legitimate form of the food. It’s a yeasty flatbread baked with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese on top, and you have to go to Napoli to get it. It’s even protected as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed Dish by the European Union.

Many Italians consider American ‘pizza’ to be an outrageous abomination, a corruption of the canonical form. But Americans love their pizza, too. In fact, America has its own subset of pizza styles according to regional subcultures: New York pizza is flat, greasy, and served in wide slices; Chicago pizza is deep dish and comes with hearty toppings like sausage; there’s even California pizza (hint: it probably has farm-direct cilantro and something artisanal).

When is a Different Word Necessary?

Whether or not these American styles truly qualify as ‘pizza’ come down to a question of language. Chicago pizza is not an Italian food. It’s distinctly American, developed by generations of immigrants in a multicultural context. Does it need a new word, other than ‘pizza,’ in order to define it satisfactorily?

Before you say no, consider the Italian word for ice cream: gelato. In America, gelato refers to a creamy, rich style of ice cream that is considered a delicacy and has distinct old world overtones. But in Italy, the same word simply means ‘ice cream.’

If this language strategy works for delineating between the cultural differences of Italian and American ice cream, why not so with pizza?

‘Pizza’ is a 10th century Latin word. It doesn’t get much more Italian than that. But whatever it is we’re eating in America, it sure is delicious, and it reflects American culture.

Perhaps what many Italian traditionalists object to is not so much the existence of a similar food in another culture, but the adoption of the food without understanding culture and tradition behind it.

Speaking the language of food is a key way of understanding culture.

Art

If you’ve ever painted en plein air, looked for an artist’s motif, or posed for a vignette au natural, you know the impact that French culture and language have had on painting.

The language we use for understanding culture and art impacts how we see it. Categorical terms like ‘rococo,’ ‘impressionist,’ or ‘Ming dynasty’ help us contextualize a piece of artwork, but they also influence our observation of it.

How can you talk about baroque Italian masterpieces without the word chiaroscuro, or early American painting without understanding the meaning of romantic (aside from its modern amorous connotations)? How can we appreciate the progression from a medieval memento mori to a classical Dutch vanitas without first grasping the Ecclesiastical meaning of ‘vanity’ as emptiness, the remembrance of death?

Without the language of Christian tradition, understanding culture becomes impossible. It reduces these paintings to simple images of skulls that probably don’t match your sofa.

Language helps us understand the focus and worldview of the painters at work, showing us why they framed and lit their compositions the way they did. Understanding culture and language go hand in hand. Art and language rely on each other to define worldviews.

As a kindred part of culture, language is inseparable from art. Understanding art is intertwined with understanding culture and language.

Related Post: Did You Know Your Language Changes How You See Color?

Mythology

The aboriginal Australian songlines are a series of songs whose rhythms, melodies and words reflect the landscape as one travels across a particular cross-continental trajectory. As a young initiate would walk a songline, they would recite the corresponding song.

The words might be in several languages at different points, because as the traveler reaches a certain point in the song, they should be arriving at a tribal border. Their ability to recite the songline became their passport.

The songlines follow the routes travelled by the great animal spirits who are the aboriginal creator deities. So in this case, understanding culture is inseparable from language, mythology and landscape.

The songlines show how understanding culture unlocks the depth of indigenous languages on the Australian continent. Many of these languages are disappearing, and with them, their cultures.

Idioms

Few elements of language expose a cultural worldview better than idioms. In fact, understanding culture and language is achievable in fast forward just by learning idioms.

A simple saying like ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’ shows a lot about English prudence and American commitment to the coin. Idioms and proverbs are an excellent way of understanding culture through language. Try on these other examples just for the fun of understanding culture:

Korean: A dragon rises from a small stream.

Korea is a small nation, but from humble beginnings rise great things. This David vs. Goliath mentality is characteristic of the vigorous Korean attitude that fears no obstacles, nor workload, nor steepness of ascent.

Mexican: Love is blind, but not the neighbors.

Neighborhood gossip, wayward affections, blind emotion, the need for discretion–all of these are implicit in this spicy Chicano proverb. There are many layers of social dynamics at work in this saying.

Akan: Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.

This West African idiom shows a collectivist reverence and humility foreign to many of us from individualist cultures. It also connects directly to place through its use of natural imagery.

Tone and Etiquette

Even the way we speak languages is part of culture. Korean uses the front of the mouth, and is very direct. Speaking a Korean sentence is like throwing a dart. Dak! It’s pointed and quick.

American English is the half-swallowed drawl of a standoffish cowboy. It sits in the back of the throat, leaning against the bar, and barely engages the lips.

Spanish varies widely, depending on the place. It can be fiery and spicy, as in Spain, easy going and mellow, as in Costa Rica, or anywhere in between.

Many languages use honorifics that denote social status. This tells volumes about the hierarchies implied in the culture. Without understanding these invisible social structures and where they come from, you can’t use honorifics effectively and understanding culture becomes impossible.

If you don’t want to offend people and embarrass yourself, supplementing your language learning by understanding culture is essential. That way you know whom to address how, and when.

Related Post: Understanding Hand and Body Gestures Across Cultures

Language is a Worldview

Language isn’t just a bunch of names for objects. It’s a way of understanding culture. It’s how we organize the world, including the kitchen table, the gallery wall, religious metaphors, social hierarchies, and abstract space.

Language literally changes the way you see the world. By adopting a second language and, you are dipping your toe into a whole new framework for seeing life and understanding culture. What a wonderful opportunity this is, and what a waste it would be to resist it!

So as you learn a language, make yourself available to understanding culture and the worldview that comes along with it. By understanding culture, you bring the language to life. You’ll find that instead of simply reciting a new codex of words, you’re enjoying a new, living perspective that takes you into foreign spaces.