The close connection between language and culture.

We can all agree that language is an important part of our lives. It allows us to express our wants and needs, become part of a community and ask for or give help.

It is one of the first things we learn in life. In fact right from the moment we are born we are hearing a particular language, but it is much more than just a means of communication. 

It is also an inseparable part of our culture.

This can sometimes lead to added pressure when learning a language because you don’t want to make cultural mistakes as a result of your novice language skills or vice versa.

Language and culture are closely connected and you have probably had the experience of knowing exactly where someone comes from simply by their language.

When you travel and listen to the different languages you will often find that even though they appear to be very different, they are also very similar in many ways. 

That said when you are traveling or relocating to an area, it is simple common sense for you to look into the cultural language habits prior to going.

For instance when you are in North American or many parts of Europe self-expression and verbal precision is appreciated. 

Being direct and to the point, especially in business is often seen as respecting the others time and value. There is nothing wrong with speaking your mind and sharing your opinions. Obviously you want to do this in a friendly manner and not be confrontational.

On the other hand Asian cultures use an indirect style of communication. 

It is appreciated when you can suggest or let others “read between the lines”. This is far less aggressive than being direct and always using decisive words such as yes and no.

It should also be noted that certain words display a certain level of respect.

In English we only have the word you. However, in French, German and other languages there will be two or more versions of you.

One to be used for a friend, colleague or someone you know well and the other version is reserved for your elders and people that you are to show a certain level of respect or strangers.

In Germany, you may even use the formal you to someone that is 20 years your junior but above you on the corporate ladder.

One of my clients recently told me that she had learned over a dozen versions of you prior to a business trip in Japan and that wasn’t even all of the forms used in the country.

These are a few of the reasons that language retreats are so relevant when learning a language.

Not only are you learning the language, but you are also learning it in the culture giving you all of the subtleties at the same time in real life situations.

A few others that I have been noticing more of lately is that many people tend to use Google translate or other translators but even with these translators, you still must be prepared for those words that are simply untranslatable.

There are times when you will not find a translation from one language to another simply because they don’t exist in another language.  

What is worse than not finding a translation, is when google gives you a word that is a direct translation but this word does not actually mean what you are looking for if anything.

An example of this would be the word “fast food", which is not only unknown, but unacceptable in some cultures.

Just as translated words that don’t mean anything are becoming quite popular, so are false friends.

I hear these on a regular basis. For instance in Germany the word for cell or mobile phone is handy. Most Germans believe that this is also the English word. After all it is an English word.

Lastly, language like everything else changes with time.

When the culture changes, so does the language.

I probably should have posted this on Sunday as that was International Womens Day, but many of you probably remember that the words he and his were used generically in the English language. 

However, our society is becoming less male dominant and as a result, the grammar rules are changing.

The same goes for the family unit. We used to always assume mother and father, whereas today, we tend to use parents more often as a precaution of not making anyone uncomfortable.

When it comes to cultures and the fact that immigration is continually growing we also have to expect the changes to continue.

So if you want to really learn a language and be able to use it as the natives do, then be sure to also keep it’s culture in mind.

If you haven’t already done so, check out some of the language retreats that we have planned. https://www.passportlifestyles.net

I can’t think of a better way to learn a language than learning it in it’s culture while in a vacation type setting can you?