Learning Language in the Corridors of Culture

Abstract

Language binds people. It is a medium to share their thoughts and emotions. However, when people of different cultural background come together, it becomes a barrier. As language is a cultural barrier, culture too is a language barrier. Lack of knowledge of the culture equals to lack of knowledge of the language. Hence in order to learn a language it is very crucial to understand the culture of the target language. It is the responsibility of a language teacher to open the windows of the culture of the target language to the students. Teaching a foreign language is not just giving a clear understanding of the syntactic structures, with focus on grammar or enrichment of vocabulary; but it is also an exposure to the cultural elements of an entirely new world, that are interwoven with the language itself. Language proficiency is not just speaking or writing the language correctly but having a complete understanding of the cultural context including the verbal as well as the non-verbal aspects, so that effective communication takes place. The incorporation of cultural awareness in the foreign language classroom not only helps the students learn the language but also helps them have empathy and respect a variety of social behaviours, beliefs, customs and traditions. The paper highlights the significance of understanding the social and cultural aspects of the target language in order to learn it, and attempts to show that culture holds an important place in foreign language education. Moreover it provides creative strategies that teachers may use to incorporate culture in their language teaching.