Learning a language without understanding its culture is like going to a quaint Mediterranean restaurant only to order a strip of bacon and cheeseburger. While your hunger can be satisfied, you won’t get the full experience.
To fully comprehend a language, you must understand the culture from where it comes from. Since they are intrinsically connected, you’ll find it easier to learn the language once you appreciate the culture.
What Is the Connection of Language to Culture?
We will have to go back to the purpose of language to find the answer to this question.
Language is the main element of communication; it allows us to express our ideas, thoughts, and feelings. You have to understand the culture to learn language because the former is constantly flowing and mainly dependent on the evolving values, customs, and views of the people who speak it.
Language Mirrors the Beliefs and Values of a Culture
The differences between cultures are evident in their languages. Mastering the distinctions of a language necessitates understanding its speakers, who grew up with a completely different set of beliefs and values.
The contrasting beliefs and values can demonstrate in various ways. When you review the common idioms and expressions of a particular society, you can have a hint on what is considered important for them.
For example, many Chinese idioms emphasises the value of obeying parents because they are known to prioritize family devotion. Other cultures repetitively talk about bravery, courage, and glory in their poems, songs, folk, stories, etc.
However, that’s not the single connection between culture and language.
Language Reflects Our Perception of the World
Language directly affects our perception of everything around us and therefore, it affects our interaction with it. Many studies support this.
When you ask linguists about language and perception, many of them might point out the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which claims that the speaker’s actions and thoughts determine the limitations and structure of language.
One way to explain linguistic relativity is by looking at the concept of time and space between different languages. In one experiment, English-speaking subjects were observed to interpret time horizontally. This is why they use the terms like “the past is behind us” and “the future is ahead”. While Mandarin speakers tend to interpret time in a vertical manner (top to bottom).
Other studies suggest the influence of language on personality. It states that when people use a different language, they also switch to a different personality. They seem to reflect the beliefs and values of the culture the language they’re currently using.
Language Reflects History
The English language is an ideal example of mixed cultures. The Latin-based French and Germanic Anglo-Normans are the roots of the English language. Learning about the history of a culture can help you understand the roots of specific words and phrases.
According to a business advisor at Max Funding, “Many languages have a rich history. If you’re going to study Romance languages, you’ll probably learn a lot about European history and the Latin lexicology.”
Have you ever wondered why many Spanish words start with “al”? This is due to the Arabic influence during the Islamic conquest in Spain.
Learning the history of a culture doesn’t only provide clarification, it also displays the evolution of words across various cultural climates.
The Bottom Line
Learning a new language is entirely possible without an in-depth cultural insight, however, the process can be more enriching if you understand the roots of a language.
