![the study of other cultures and other ways of life should lead us to an understanding that the study of other cultures and other ways of life should lead us to an understanding that](https://i0.wp.com/atlassianblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/the-importance-of-teamwork_featured@3x.png)
Banksĭirector of the Center for Multicultural EducationĬulture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. People within a culture usually interpret the meaning of symbols, artifacts, and behaviors in the same or in similar ways.
![the study of other cultures and other ways of life should lead us to an understanding that the study of other cultures and other ways of life should lead us to an understanding that](https://ugc.futurelearn.com/uploads/images/f7/dc/f7dca83d-35ca-4441-a498-67f42aa26c11.jpg)
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. 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. Most social scientists today view culture as consisting primarily of the symbolic, ideational, and intangible aspects of human societies. Professor Emeritus of Organizational Anthropology Scholarly consensus on the definition of understanding culture supports this: More Definitions of CultureĬulture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another. Therefore we can say that all language is a part of culture all culture is related directly or indirectly to language. ‘Cognitive constructs’ and learned, socialized patterns surely include language, but aren’t limited to it. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group. The shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition defines culture as: To put a finer point on it, language is culture. Understanding language is understanding culture. Understanding Culture and Language are Intertwined Related Post: Preserving Culture and Tradition in the Modern World Here are a few reasons why the two go hand in hand. To really unlock a language, to understand it at its roots, understanding culture is key. 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. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but such an approach would omit layers of meaning behind the words. So which is it? If we look at language as simply a network of words and phrases, language learning becomes lifeless and robotic. Others say this isn’t really possible, that to learn a language you must also learn about its culture. 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.