The impact of culture on social,
linguistic and culture interactions
By: David Aguayo
EDUC 604
Prof: E. Lugo
Objectives

After discussing these concepts the
participants will be able to:
–
Understand the dimensions of culture.
–
Understand the relationship between culture and
social interactions.
–
Understand the relationship between culture and
linguistic interactions.
–
Relate to the cultural symbols of their own
cultures.
Introduction

This presentation aims to discuss the impact that
culture has on social, linguistic and culture
interactions.

Being teachers of the English language, this is a
matter of importance to us because language and
culture influence each other.

Being Spanish the first language of most of our
students we should learn strategies to help them
acquire not only the linguistic aspects of the English
language but also the cultural aspects of it, giving
them a more complete experience in the classroom.
Definition of culture:

Culture can be defined as a way of life. No matter where
people live, their behaviors and thoughts follow and are
generally based on their own cultures.

Culture establishes a context of cognitive and affective
behavior for each person.

It influences individual estimation and attitudes, and can
also have an effect on practical aspects of life such as
hobbies.
The dimensions of culture

Ideas, customs, tools, art and skills that
characterize a group of people in a given
period of time.

Beliefs, values and material objects that
create our way of life.
Habits + Traditions= Culture
Culture is also a matter of habit, and it is habit that
becomes tradition and tradition that gives rise to
culture.
 Local people begin with habitual actions and go on
to create common stereotypes.
 Stereotypes assign group characteristics to
individual purely on the basis of their cultural
membership.
 The cultural stereotypes affect how people think,
speak, act, and interact with one another.

Culture and communication:
inseparable.

Culture dictates:
–
Who talks to whom
–
About what
–
How the communication proceeds
Culture and communication:
inseparable (cont.)

Culture determines:
–
How people encode messages
–
The meanings people have for messages
–
The conditions and circumstances under which
various messages may or may not be sent,
noticed, or interpreted.
Culture as the foundation of
communication

Without culture:
–
–
We cannot understand the lives and motivations
of others.
We cannot connect with the concerns and
interests of others.


Culture is inherent in our being and a powerful human
tool to develop our society, add to our knowledge, and
establish the relationships between people.
However, culture is fragile. The traits of culture are
constantly changing and easily lost. If we do not value it,
we will lose it eventually.
What is Linguistics?

Linguistics is the scientific study of language.

It is a foundational discipline in the sense that it
bridges the social sciences, the natural sciences,
and the humanities.

Linguists focuses on describing and explaining
language.

Importance: We need to understand the structures
and functions of languages which play a part in our
social activities in order for there to be a successful
use of language.
Structure of language

Language is a system of symbols and rules
that is used for meaningful communication.

In many ways the structure of language
reflects the structure of how our minds
process the world.
Why is important for teachers to understand
patterns of sound in language?



Understanding a language should first
involve understanding its patterns of sound.
All languages have definite patterns in the
sounds that the speaker uses.
We have to understand:
–
–
how those sounds are combined to form symbols
and how those symbols are organized into
meaningful sentences.
How can the structure of
language be learned?

One of the reasons why some people have difficulty
learning another language is often related to
language structures. (English – Chinese)

The structure of a language can be learned because
human beings have a natural and inherent
competence to acquire languages.

According to language acquisition theory:
–
Language learners usually need a transformational period
when they are learning a new language. They must apply
and compare the structures of their mother tongue to the
new language in order to understand its patterns.
Functions of language

The functions of language can be separated in
seven areas, included:
1.
Instrumental function: Used to cause certain events
to happen.
2.
Regulatory function: Used to control events
(Commands)
3.
Representational function: Used to make
statements, explain or report.
Functions of language (cont.)
4.
Interactive function: knowledge of slang, jargon,
jokes, folklore, politeness, and formality expectations
in social exchange.
5.
Personal function: Used to express feelings
emotions, and personality.
6.
Heuristic function: Used to acquire knowledge and to
learn.
7.
Imaginative function: Used to create tales, write a
novel, poetry, tongue twisters, and etc.
Language affects culture

Language is formed to present our ideas or
concepts; these can change depending on
which cultural elements are dominant at any
given moment.

Whenever language expands, the culture
changes.
Language affects culture (cont.)

Language has infinite flexibility
–
the meaning of a word can be changed, and then
a new symbolism is created.
 the
English word “Nice” now generally means
pleasing, agreeable, polite, and kind. But, in
15th century “Nice” meant foolish, reckless, and
even wicked.
Language affects culture (cont.)

The culture of the United States is made up of many
different cultures and languages. Each of these
individual cultures is impacting on, shaping, and
redefining the American culture. Many new words
are being added to normal American daily speech.

People accept and understand them because these
adaptations have already become a part of the
“local” culture and blended into people’s lives.
Culture affects language

Culture not only changes people’s values
and habits, but also affects people’s
language and behaviors.

Cultural knowledge is crucial in achieving
linguistic proficiency, and the culture of a
society can be changed depending upon the
language used.
Culture affects language (cont.)

Some old words remain even when they are
no longer used.

New words emerge as they become
identified with particular cultural activities.

The slang words used by our parents were
very likely different from those we use today.
Culture affects language (cont.)

Different eras often have differing “pop
languages”.
–
These languages are mostly likely to be
influenced by TV programs, politics or music, and
little by little they create their own cultural trend.
–
Examples of this can be seen with the Beatles
and most recently in Hop Pop music.
What is Society?

A system of social interaction that includes
culture and social organization.

Members of a society have a common
culture though there may be great diversity
within it.
Social Interactions

Social interaction is made possible, in large
measure, by the existence of cultural symbols.

Social Exchange
–
Interactions are determined by rewards or
punishments.
–
If the reward for an interaction exceeds the
punishment, a potential for social profit exists and
the interaction is likely to occur.
Cultural Symbols

Visible, physical manifestations of organizations and
indicators of cultural life.

Symbols take on important meanings in
organizations; meanings that are defined by cultural
and social conventions and interactions.

Things that can be experienced with the senses and
used by culture members to make meaning.
Cultural Symbols (cont.)

Symbols are noticed through sight, sound,
touch, and smell.
–
–
–
–
–
–
Cultural songs
Flags
Mottos
Food
Instruments
Animals
Cultural Symbols (cont.)

What are some of the symbols of your culture?
–
Singing of the Coquí and the Coquí itself
Pasteles
Bomba y Plena, Danza
The nickname “Boricua”
Sayings: “Yo soy boricua, pa’ que tú lo sepas.”
–
Songs that make you identify with your culture: Harris Hymn
–
–
–
–
 Why
is this song so accepted in the Puerto
Rican culture?
Cultural Symbols (cont.)

Symbolic Interactions rests on three primary
premises.
–
–
–
First, that human beings act towards things on the
basis of the meanings those things have for them.
Second, that such meanings arise out of the
interaction of the individual with others.
Third, that an interpretive process is used by the
person in each instance in which he must deal
with things in his environment.
Culture’s impact on social
interactions

It is culture that makes us feel aware of ourselves as
a distinct social unit.

It’s culture that will determine the goals and norms
that we share.

How we see ourselves and the common goals and
norms that we share will determine the way in which
we interact and communicate with each other.
Conclusion




Culture has great impact on the way we interact, on
our language, our tone and in our way of living in
society.
Though both, social interactions and language, have
different main components, without culture, then
language and social interactions could not be
complete.
Culture leads us to the understanding of the lives
and motivations of others.
Culture leads us to connect to the concerns and
interests of others.
References
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Blumer, H. (1996) SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AS
DEFINED BY HERBERT BLUMER
http://www.cdharris.net/text/blumer.html
Condon, E. C. (1973). Introduction to Cross Cultural
Communication. New Brunswick, NJ: Rogers University Press
Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and Culture, OUP: Oxford
Lado, R. (1957). Linguistics across Cultures. Ann
Arbor:University of Michigan Press.
Lu, M. (1998). Language learning in social and cultural
contexts. Eric Digest. Retrieved October 11, 2006 from
http://www.ed.gov.databases/ERIC_Digests/ed423531.html