learning a second language means learning a new culture

[chill out]

hi there,
It has been said that learning a second language is a ' master key ' for learning a second culture. Based on your experience of learning English, What do you think? Is it true that learning a second language means learning a new culture? If yes, what are those experiences you went through? Do you have any specific experience that proves the given idea?

Waiting to read your comments ..

thanks ...

[arunp]

Originally Posted by chill out

hi there,
It has been said that learning a second language is a ' master key ' for learning a second culture. Based on your experience of learning English, What do you think? Is it true that learning a second language means learning a new culture? If yes, what are those experiences you went through? Do you have any specific experience that proves the given idea?

Waiting to read your comments ..

thanks ...

English has been, for quite sometime, a global language and hence it does not limit itself to any culture. But yes, if you study literature you will tend to get closer to the native culture.

[Calaen]

This does not have to be so when one only studies the language, because some languages are spoken in so many areas that you cannot choose just one country's culture. For me, language and culture are two completely different things, because you will be understood if you speak the language, and people won't ask you to repeat what you're saying if you know absolutely nothing about cultures. So getting to know the country's style of living, etcetra, is not essential.

Sometimes, however, knowledge of a culture comes with the study of a language. It really depends on what aspect of the language you're interested in. If I just want to communicate I'm fine without knowledge of the culture, but if I, for example, want to study the history of a language, it's important to know why, when and how a language changed to completely understand it. That's when you need to know stuff about the culture.

[Tdol]

It also depends how m uch you study the languge; if you learn survival language, you won't pick up that much of the culture.

[arunp]

Originally Posted by Tdol

It also depends how m uch you study the languge; if you learn survival language, you won't pick up that much of the culture.

Yes I agree with Tdol and that is what I meant in my previous post. For example, in India study of English is pursued to enhance one's prospects in career and business. This helps because English is a global language of sorts.Today in India it is learnt only to the extent it is functional.

[Veron1]

learning a second language means learning a new culture

Sure!!!!!

I.A

[chill out]

well,
for me I think that is learning a second language implies some degree of learning a second culture. Now, if someone, who has no idea about English, went to a country where English is a main language, he will not be able to live in that country and definitely will never pass the culture shock easily.But, if he has some knowledge about language then he will be stong enough to get over culture shock and aquire a new culture, so simply language means culture.


thanks for your participation.

regards,
chill out

[Celestemaria]

I don´t think I have many things to share, but I do think learning a second language means learning a new culture, because this allows you get more knowledgements about the world. If you travel abroad it'll be easy to get in contact with the local people and you'll be sure of what to do or don't.

[stuartnz]

Originally Posted by arunp

This helps because English is a global language of sorts.Today in India it is learnt only to the extent it is functional.

This is very sad, given the rich depth of English-language writing in India. India is a nice example of the point raised earlier in this thread about the mix of culture and language. My cousins in Bangalore have English as their mother tongue, and so do I, but the cultures in which we absorbed that common language could hardly be more different.

[SUDHKAMP]

Originally Posted by Tdol

It also depends how m uch you study the languge; if you learn survival language, you won't pick up that much of the culture.

Originally Posted by arunp

Yes I agree with Tdol and that is what I meant in my previous post. For example, in India study of English is pursued to enhance one's prospects in career and business. This helps because English is a global language of sorts.Today in India it is learnt only to the extent it is functional.

Originally Posted by stuartnz

This is very sad, given the rich depth of English-language writing in India. India is a nice example of the point raised earlier in this thread about the mix of culture and language. My cousins in Bangalore have English as their mother tongue, and so do I, but the cultures in which we absorbed that common language could hardly be more different.

I agree with Stuart that language is no barrier for following a particular culture or life-style. Afterall language is just a means of communication.
Arunp's remarks are based on his experiences, and certainly many people take English as something to enhance their career prospects, but as I have already mentioned somewhere-else in these forums that English has become a part and parcel of India. There are so many Newspapers and journals and TV channels which are being solely run in English. There is a very huge population of English speaking population in India.(Those IT and BPO companies would collapse, it there were no English speaking people).

And certainly English has brought India closer to American and British and other English speaking countries like Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand closer to India and their culture has also had its effect on Indian life-style.

Certainly in India's economic and cultural progress English has played a big role.

P.S. : There are many writers in India which we have discussed earlier in other forums(I just wish to add Dom Morris, which I forgot earlier, whom I had met years ago as a young kid)