Role Of Culture In Language Learning

The role of culture in language learning

Being one of the crucial elements of culture language has a very important role in human’s life. Language allows a person communicate with others in meeting their needs. Thus, it can be said is the main function of language is not only as a communication tool for sharing and exchanging opinions, but also it functions as a tool to express self-expression, a tool to make integration and social adaptation, as well as a tool to hold social control. Therefore, acquiring any foreign language, is a challenging and patience-requiring process, and the best way to learn foreign language is getting acquainted with the culture of the language where the needed language is widely spoken.

The new language

By this way they learn to respect and appreciate different ethnic and cultural values, they discover unique histories and traditions. Therefore, learners need to become familiar with how they can personally engage with cultural diversity.

One of the way in which culture has often been understood is as a basic of knowledge. This basic of knowledge can be seen in various ways: as knowledge about cultural art facts or works of art; as knowledge about places; as knowledge about events and symbols which exactly showed this culture; or as knowledge about ways of living. When translated into language learning, this knowledge-based view of culture often takes the form of teaching information about another country, its people, its history, and so on.

There is one thing should be pointed out that although different languages reflect and influence different culture, there are many concepts that are universal. Take the relationship issue for example, people from the English speaking countries can distinguish relatives on mother’s side from those on father’s side, although they do not do so, the concepts are there. People from different cultures can understand each other although they speak different languages and have different worldviews, because many of the basic concepts are

Only by learning the culture, language learners can better understand the language and use it in communication as native speakers do. Educators now generally believe that it is important to help the second language learners to achieve the communicative competence as well as the linguistic competence. Visualizing and understanding the differences between the two will enable the student to correctly judge the appropriate uses language idiosyncrasies. Valdes argues that not only similarities and contrasts in the native and target languages have been useful in as learning tools, but when the student understands cultural similarities and contrasts, and applies that knowledge to learning practices, they too become advantageous learning tools . Because an interdependent relationship between language and culture and becoming aware of these similarities and differences is an integral component of learning any foreign language. Finally, it also helps to develop student’s intercultural perspectives that may have impact on their further education and future