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English translation: learning a language while entrenched in its culture
17:11 Mar 11, 2021
English language (monolingual) [PRO] Art/Literary - Linguistics
English term or phrase:cultural language
Dear colleagues, I was wondering about the meaning of “cultural language” in the passage below: is it something like “second language”? Thank you very much for every hint!
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As Sriganesh and Ponniah suggest, “Cultural language acquisition triggers the development of novel neural connections of brain areas corresponding to various language functions, changing the structure and functions of the brain.”
Explanation: Without knowing these authors nor their books, I would say it sounds like they're hinting at more of a relativistic view of language, such that the culture you have direct contact with (the one you grow up, in for example), directly influences your linguistic development.
This is especially true of your mother tongue and can occur when you live in a foreign country and absorb its language while you're entrenched in the culture.
so just because some people don't realise that language and culture are ALWAYS ENTWINED, bad translators don't care about context and bad teachers don't point out those cultural aspects, there is CULTURE-LESS LANGUAGE?? Let me just say that with or without somebody's access to culture, language itself always carries intrinsic cultural meaning. But, true, the question need not be changed because the real answer has already been given on the basis of the meaning of the full phrase... ;) And what you're saying about those 'some language courses' is precisely the non-cultural/culture-less language acquisition and learning/teaching as opposed to that immersed in the cultural meanings. The authors' explanation quoted by the asker is clearly about a book about language acquisition, not simply language, whether cultural or otherwise, but they concentrate on the cultural acquisition type.
you don't need to change anything. "cultural language" remains the same with or without "acquisition". That has been clear to me from the start and the authors say much the same > acquisition of the language should mean access to the culture. However, it doesn't always happen! I know places with language courses that deal strictly with terminology and grammar and never delve into culture at all. I also know so-called "translators" who deal only with words and not with the context, with evidence of that here on Kudoz on a regular basis:-(. So, language and culture SHOULD be entwined but are not necessarily so.
all for your help. Actually, I don't know how to change my question...which should actually be "cultural language acquisition", as the authors of the article have confirmed...
this reinforces what I've written but I'm wondering why somebody would still write based on Chomsky when his system is very old and outdated - it was old even when I studies EN teaching at UNI - 45 years ago. But this part more-or-less holds.
kindly replied to my question. I’ll try to summarize their answer. Their theoretical framework is Chomsky’s Principles and Parameters theory of language acquisition: according to this theory, some parts of language are already acquired or wired in the brain (principles). The term “cultural language acqusition” refers to aspects of language acquired through external (cultural) language input. “Parameters” are culturally learned aspects: according to some studies, parameter setting happens in the brain as people acquire languages: new brain networks emerge when different parameters are set through listening/reading in a cultural environment, resulting in the acquisition of a language. So my question should actually have been “cultural language acquisition”, although I guess that in this particular context a more specific phrase might be: “culturally learned aspects of language”?
Can you see any (part of) language(s) that is not cultural??? If language doesn't exist without culture (and it doesn't), then no sense talking about cultural language or otherwise because there's no otherwise. That's why you have to add acquisition to the phrase. I've provided a lot of explanation earlier, if you don't understand, I'm just adding here the opinion of another teacher/teacher trainer from Quora.com: "(Rosie Norman-Neubauer), I have been a language trainer (DELTA, Uni. Cambridge ESOL) for over 30 years ... There is no such thing as a language in which cultural does not play an integral part. The way the language has evolved often has a cultural background as does phrases or sayings. Let’s take the idioms used in Business English: A good number of them are sports based and as we can see from the references used in them, e.g. a ballpark figure, they actually originated from the US (a nation full of sports enthusiasts). The US business world is known for its competitiveness so it makes sense to use sports idioms to explain or make a point. This is just one of the examples which show that culture creeps into every language and updates it on a regular basis."
would change in any way the meaning of "cultural language"???
That would simply mean that, for whatever reasons, someone is interested in a particular culture and wants to learn the associated language. The meaning of "cultural language" would STILL be the same.
I'm actually beginning to have a doubt about my own question: whether it is "cultural language" or "cultural language acquisition", so I have decided to write to the authors of the article. As soon as I have an answer, I let you know. In the meanwhile, I really wish to thank you all for trying to help me.
Otherwise, what would 'cultural language acquisition' mean other than language acquisition in a cultural context? Language acquisition can take place without stress on cultural aspects (like my Russian lessons for a decade), compared to the kind that leans on that aspect very much. That's what 'cultural language acquisition' is, outside school, or without the help of teachers, like while watching movie films or documentaries on the target culture, or on nature, peoples talking the target language and the like.
I haven't done such research, I simply did that project for a couple of years I've referred to, and as EN teachers, we were (made, then were) fully aware that language is always a cultural phenomenon. Logically, if language is always cultural, it means that there's no opposite - no 'un- or non-cultural' language exists, so the phrase 'cultural language' makes no sense. That follows from the rule of dichotomies. But teaching languages can be done without involving culture, like when I was young and we were made to learn Russian in the 60s without even learning to ask for stuff in a shop. And EN teaching was like that to some extent even in the 80s in Middle-Europe. That's when cultural language teaching came into being later, and as languages are mostly taught in schools, not acquired in natural ways, no wonder you can't find anything about 'cultural language acquisition', to a large extent because language acquisition naturally happens in a cultural context, so no need to stress it in the literature. But my main point is that the question is wrong. If it were considered correct, what would it mean to speak about the acquisition of cultural language?
I see what you mean and I also had this doubt, but I haven't found many references about "cultural language acquisition"....that's why I thought it probably is "cultural language"... Do you perhaps have some specific references about "cultural language acquisition" (I've found above all about "crosscultural language acquisition" only)
I read a discussion question about immigration and its relevance to language and culture or cultural language, with second language acquisition. I think migration is more commonly used as a definition of people who move to another country or area for economic or other reasons. It's important in the topic of discussion. I understood it to be equally about local or geographic expressions or idioms which are present or active in the same country. It might be about people being local or native to a place, as opposed to being an incomer in a place.
because the phrase is 'cultural language acquisition' i.e. the acquisition of language through and involving more culture than sheer language. It's language acquisition which is cultural, which is a relatively new phenomenon. Before the 1990s EN language teaching concentrated on teaching the language. The BC began to seek for ways of teaching EN culture as well as the language then, for which we in Hungary created a workgroup of teachers and with the help of the BC published a book that concentrated on L2 teaching through cultural topics. The other side of teaching is acquisition, involving the learner in the cultural surroundings more than a language class, which is more about teaching. But the question is not cultural language - language is always cultural, we (L2 teachers) just don't always pay attention.
thank you for your contribution! Maybe you could post an answer so I can give you the points: actually you've pointed out some aspects that I overlooked: probably the concept of "cultural language" doesn't necessarily imply that you live in the country where the language is spoken, although I think (but by no means am I sure) that in this case it might refer to people living in a foreign country, for example immigrants. Do you think this may also be a possible interpretation?
I was about to post it as my answer, but you've already found it. The best definition:
"cultural language": "a language that is learned by many members of other speech communities for the sake of access to the culture of which it is the vehicle."
that seems to be different from the concept of "vehicular language" (as opposed to "vernacular").
Latin or Ancient Greek could be seen as a "cultural language" , but being "dead languages" certainly not as a "vehicular language".
BTW, for those obsessed with "simplifying" all and any ST: the "cultural" bit is a key element, definitely not to be thrown under the carpet.
Phil Goddard's remark to my post is worth considering too; he probably means that all language is inherently cultural, since what is a language without the culture from which it springs, in which it's used, etc., so even saying "cultural language" is a bit redundant. But yes, your authors' comments are effectively pointing out that learning another language is inherently tied to learning another culture, i.e. that language's culture, which is a deeply powerful and difficult process, and which you naturally undergo as a child embedded in your own culture, absorbing your mother tongue.
"cultural language": "a language that is learned by many members of other speech communities for the sake of access to the culture of which it is the vehicle." So it seems that this expression doesn't refer to one's own mother tongue, but more to a "second language" acquisition... maybe..
As we’ve been seeing, language is both limiting and liberating. Personal development as well as cultural evolution are shaped by language, molded by the words we use.86 As Sriganesh and Ponniah suggest, “Cultural language acquisition triggers the development of novel neural connections of brain areas corresponding to various language functions, changing the structure and functions of the brain.”87 How can language help us summarize such notions and bring ideas of integration and identity not only into changes in our own neural networks, but out into the interconnected social networks of the world? Tamariz and Kirby provide some insights into this question:
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13 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +3
learning a language while entrenched in its culture
Explanation: Without knowing these authors nor their books, I would say it sounds like they're hinting at more of a relativistic view of language, such that the culture you have direct contact with (the one you grow up, in for example), directly influences your linguistic development.
This is especially true of your mother tongue and can occur when you live in a foreign country and absorb its language while you're entrenched in the culture.
Nicholas Laurier Eveneshen Portugal Local time: 09:48 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
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Asker: Thank you very much, Nicholas, for your contribution.
peer agreement (net): +3