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Файл:Cross-Cultural Communication Overcoming the Differences. Учебное пособие
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Unit 3. Power of Languages
41
Relationship Between Language
and Culture
By: Vanessa Anderson
The culture and language are
strongly interconnected. The relation
between them is debatable and
several questions pop up in the 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.
1. 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.
2. Language is the medium of
communication using which we
express our thoughts and ideas and
interact with others. Some of the
languages are 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. 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.
3. 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
Cross-Cultural Communication: Overcoming the Differences
42
culture plays an important role in
learning a language. Moreover,
language allows the organization and
evolution of cultural values.
4. A renowned linguist Ken Hale
shares his views on the culturelanguage 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.
5. Language is an integral part
required for the establishment of
culture. Communication is the 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. 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.
6. 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 child and a 70-year-old
man to share an identical culture and
exact the same language even if they
leave in the same locality.
7. 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
Unit 3. Power of Languages
43
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.
8. 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, the 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.
9. 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. To cut a long
story short, language and culture are
inseparable.
Adapted from
https://www.marstranslation.com/
blog/language-and-culture
2. Read the text one more time. Find the answers to the questions.
1. How does any culture appear?
2. Why might people from the same society perceive the world around them
differently?
3. Why do same languages sound differently in different places?
4. How are language and culture interlinked?
5. Why do some languages evolve, and some disappear?
6. What is common between language and culture?
7. Can understanding of a culture help in learning any language?
Cross-Cultural Communication: Overcoming the Differences
44
3. Look at the definitions of the words and find them in the text.
1. a mixture of different things or styles (part 1) __________________________
2. a style of cooking (part 1) ________________________
3. to make a connection between two
or more people, things, or ideas (part 3) __________________
4. most important or most basic (part 4) _________________
5. the basic or most important idea
or quality of something (part 5) __________________
6. not now existing (part 5) ___________________
7. sudden or having very
noticeable effects (part 6) ___________________
8. a close connection joining two or
more people (part 7) ____________________
9. a very slight difference in appearance,
meaning, sound, etc. (part 8) __________________
4. Make up a summary of the text. Use the prompt below. Talk to your partner
and compare your summaries. Have you chosen the same ideas to talk about?
The text looks at/ is about/ focuses on/ deals with ____________________.
It makes _(number) main points. The first point is__________. Secondly/ the
third thing is___________. Finally, ________________. In conclusion/ thus /
in summary/ to sum up, I’d like to say ______________________________.
Grammar
1. Work with a partner. Think what Russian word/words would be difficult to
explain to a foreigner? Why?
2. Read the text. What words are called “untranslatable”?
The Most Beautiful and Untranslatable
Words In Other Languages
Unit 3. Power of Languages
45
There are thousands of
untranslatable words. Today we're
discussing some of the most magical
ones, each from a different foreign
language. None have a direct
translation in English. These
beautiful foreign words provide a
fascinating glimpse into foreign
languages and cultures.
Many languages are not able to
perfectly capture the exact meaning
of a word in another language. There
are so many feelings and ideas that
we can't put words to. As every
language learner knows, translating
between two languages is no easy
task. Each language has its own
linguistic and grammatical
complexities. This means many ideas
become "lost in translation."
Linguists have spent decades
deconstructing and studying these
words, trying to discover why.
1. Waldeinsamkeit (German)
/ˈvaltaɪnzaːmkaɪt/
The German word waldeinsamkeit
consists of two words joined
together. Wald means ‘forest’, and
einsamkeit means ‘loneliness’. It
hints at both the feeling of being
alone in the woods and also at a
peaceful oneness with nature.
2. Sobremesa (Spanish)
/ˌso.bɾi.ˈme.za/
Sobremesa refers to the time
spent after lunch or dinner
socializing with the people you
shared the meal with. Meals are a
very important part of Spanish
culture. The Spanish people value
the time spent relaxing and chatting
after finishing eating.
3. Mångata (Swedish)
/ˈmoːŋˌɡɑːta/
This beautiful word describes the
reflection of the moon on water. It
refers to the wavy, road-like shape
that appears across the water when
the moon is shining on it. It consists
of the prefixes Måne meaning
‘moon’, and gata meaning
‘street/road’.
So, it is sometimes indirectly
translated as "moon-path", "moonriver", or "moon-track".
4. Saudade (Portuguese)
/sɔdejd/
Saudade refers to the feeling of
longing for something or someone
you love which is gone. It is a
bittersweet, empty feeling that
carries the knowledge that the object
of longing may never return. It is
often considered characteristic of the
Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese
temperament.
It implies melancholy or
nostalgia. It has been described as
"the love that remains" after
someone is gone.
Cross-Cultural Communication: Overcoming the Differences
46
5. Hyggelig (Danish)
/ˈhjuːɡəlig/
This Danish word refers to a
delightfully cozy, intimate moment
or thing. It gives off imagery of a
candlelit winter evening at home
with warm blankets and a bit of
alcohol. There are similar words in
German (gemütlichkeit), Swedish
(gemytlig) and Norwegian
(hyggelig). However, there is no
direct translation in English.
6. Flâner (French)
/flɑ.ne/
Perhaps one of the most Parisian
of all French words, the verb flâner
was defined in the 19th century. It
refers to strolling the streets of Paris
in a leisurely way. It implies no goal
or destination, but purely the simple
pleasure of soaking up the city's
beauty.
These aimless pedestrians are
called flâneurs.
7. Ré nao (热闹) (Chinese)
The Chinese word ré nao is
usually translated as “lively” or
“bustling”. Its true meaning goes
beyond these adjectives. A place or
situation that is ré nao is not only fun
and lively. It also has a special vibe
that makes everyone want to be
there. A new, exciting bar or club
may be ré nao, but so might a
university class or meeting with
friends.
8. Toska (Russian)
The Russian word toska can be
roughly translated to mean sadness
or mournfulness. But these English
words don't interpret its full
meaning.
There are many shades of toska. At
its lower levels it represents ennui, a
vague restlessness, or a dull ache of
the soul. More accurately it can
describe a strong yearning with
nothing to yearn for. In particular
cases, it may be the desire for
somebody or something specific, a
sick pining. At its deepest it refers to
a sensation of great spiritual anguish,
often without specific cause.
These beautiful words all deny direct English translation. They provide a
magical glimpse into their different languages and cultures. Have you come
across a foreign word or phrase you felt you couldn't directly translate? Please
feel free to let us know!
Adapted from https://www.rocketlanguages.com/blog/20-of-the-worlds-most-
beautiful-untranslatable-words
Unit 3. Power of Languages
47
3. Do you think these words can tell anything about the nations? If yes, what
national traits/ stereotypes do they reflect? Share your ideas with a partner.
4. A. Look at the underlined verbs. What tenses are used in the text? Why?
B. Read two sentences. Which of them tells that it is a usual action? Which tells
about annoying thing?
1. I always try to learn new words when travel.
2. He is always repeating my words.
C. Match the description of tenses with a right tense.
unfinished actions now, permanent situations, irritating habits, temporary
situations, habits, always true, short actions now, arranged future plans.
The Present Simple The Present Continuous
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
D. Complete the table with the rules.
The Present Simple
The Present Continuous
Affirmative
I /You/ We/ They have/ give
He/She/It ______/_____
I am
He/She/It is discussing
We/You/They ____
Negative
I /You/ We/ They do not
(______) have/ give
He/She/It does not (____)
have/ give
I (__) am not discussing.
He/She/It isn’t(___)
discussing.
We/You/They are not (___)
discussing.
Questions
Do __/__/__ have /give?
Yes,___do/No,____ don’t.
_____he/she/it have/give?
Yes, he/she/it ____./No,
he/she/it ______
___ I discussing? Yes, I am/ No
I’m not.
Is he/she/it discussing? Yes, he
___/ No, he ____
____ you/ we/they discussing?
Yes, they _____/ No, they _____.
Cross-Cultural Communication: Overcoming the Differences
48
Wordsmarkers
Usually, always, _______,
every week…, monthly,
dailym regularly, from time
to time, seldom, on _____.
_______, nowadays, at present,
today, currently, tomorrow.
Look!
Listen!
E. What two groups of verbs the following verbs belong to? How are they used
in the Present Simple and the Present Continuous Tenses?
hate, do, love, understand, read, go, continue, give, have, think, write.
5. Make up the sentences from the prompts. Put the verbs into the correct forms.
I
You
He/She/It
We
They
don’t
am
is
are
doesn’t
always
never
constantly
at the moment
currently
rarely
feel
work
think
speak
understand
mind
like
interact
want
……
6. Find in the text grammar mistakes and correct them. There are nine mistakes
and one verb which can be used in the text in both tenses.
Third culture kid is a term in
English that is used to describes
children who have grown up in a
different culture to that of their
parents. They are experiencing
such a unique childhood, but third
culture kids can also face many
challenges.
I was born in England, to
English parents, but when I was
two years old my dad got a new
Unit 3. Power of Languages
49
job in Poland. Since then I have lived in four other countries around the world,
and although I am having a British passport I sometimes not feel very English at
all!
I am also lucky to now have friends all over the world, from Nigeria to
Canada, that I’m keeping in regular contact with. Having to go to a new school
every two years or so also made making new friends much easier, and I’m
thinking I adapt well to new situations. And of course, moving around so much
prepared me very well for my year abroad!
However, it wasn't always easy. Because I had no access to English culture,
returning 'home' often felt like visiting a foreign country. When I started
university in England, references to English television, English games and
English education were completely lost on me! Happily, now I feel more at
home in England - although the question, "where do you from?" still confuse
me!
At the time, I didn't realise how incredible lucky I was to have such an
exciting childhood. Now I am so grateful for the unique opportunities I had, and
it is making me want to continue to travel around the world for a very long time!
Adapted from https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/magazine/life-
around-world/being-third-culture-kid
7. A. Write in the bubbles actions that you do ALWAYS, CURRENTLY,
MONTHLY, TOMORROW, FROM TIME TO TIME, NOWADAYS,
NEVER, AT THE MOMENT.
B. Work in pairs. Look at your partners’ answers and ask questions to guess
what actions are done when. When you give the right answer, explain why.
Cross-Cultural Communication: Overcoming the Differences
50
Example: A: Do you always read texts or watch films in English?
B: No, I don’t.
A: Do you read texts or watch films from time to
time?
B: Yes, I do. I have no time to watch films in
English regularly.
Watching
1. Look at the infographics.
What information is shown
there?
Which of them do you think
are the most difficult to
learn? Why?
2. Make a list of top 10
languages which are
difficult to learn. Put the
most difficult on the first
place.
3. Watch the video “Top 20 Hardest Languages to Learn in the World”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsekToq3xx4&t=22s. Compare your list
with the list of the languages in the video. What are all 20 languages? Which is
the hardest?
4. Watch the video one more time. Write the language next to its description
from the video.
Read some
articles/watch
films in English
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