How is Language Related to Culture?
Language and culture are intimately connected. They influence each other as language helps spread culture and culture helps form language. Oftentimes people who live in a similar area share a culture, or common set of beliefs, and a language. Their values are similar and their dialect, or the way they sound when they speak their language, is shared too.
What Came First, Culture or Language?
It can be hard to discern between culture and language which came first. In reality, it is most commonly said that they appeared simultaneously in society. Neither of these concepts formed quickly, and were spread through word of mouth from one area to the next.
As culture and language spread together, they were changed together as well to fit the needs of the new community. They each influenced each other to evolve and advance and keep pace with the developments they were creating.
Is Language Part of Culture?
Language is an essential part of culture. Language and culture cannot be separated as easily as some may think. If you want to fully understand a foreign culture, you must also learn the language.
Our ideals and beliefs about society are shaped by the language we speak. Whether it’s the colors we see or the values we hold, the language we learn affects how we see the world. Language is the fastest way to transmit language to children and foreigners.
How is Language Related to Culture?
Language is inextricably linked together. When language is lost, an important piece of culture is lost as well. You really can’t talk about language without talking about culture, and culture without language.
We engage in culture by engaging in language. For example, we make social connections by talking to people, but the way these social interactions are guided by culture. So, there is language in culture.
Our parents and caretakers teach us our values and how to see the world around us. They do this through language, by answering our questions and telling us what they believe. Our ideals, traditions, foundations, and interpersonal interaction are all influenced by culture and done through language.
What is the Relationship Between Language and Culture in Canada?
The strong linking relationship between language and culture can be found in Canada. We are a diverse country that has multiple languages and cultures depending on the part of the country you are in. Our culture and language has been influenced by our historical settlers, native communities, natural barriers, and the vast spread of our land across the continent.
Canadian culture can vary depending greatly on what part of the country you find yourself in. We are a country that has many different immigrants and communities spread out in our land, and each one has their own unique culture and dialect of language.
Even the relationship between the official languages of Canada can reveal some of our cultural traditions. Because we have two official languages, English and French, it reflects our mixed colonial history of being settled by both the British and the French. We are a mixed country and this can be seen in Canadian culture and traditions that combine British and French values and traditions.
How Does Language Reflect Status or Culture in Canadian Society?
The short answer is it doesn’t. Language is not a barrier that is seen often in Canada and it does not convey social status either. It is often to find people who are bilingual in English and French because of these being co-official languages of the country.
This has not always been the case, but like we’ve said throughout this discussion, language and culture evolve and affect each other. In the past, certain dialects of English and French were preferred over others. It was a distinguishing feature of the bourgeois and the peasants. The dialect that was more “proper” was seen to be more favorable.
But now different dialects are simply markers of different geographical features. We don’t prioritize one language over another and don’t lift up or put down people who’s language differs from ours. It is a positive development for the culture of Canada to not distinguish and favor people because of their educated persona.
Final Thoughts
Language and culture are inextricably linked. You cannot talk about one without at least mentioning the other. They evolve and develop together. Language conveys culture and culture affect language and the situations where we use language the most. As communities grow, so do their culture and language to become better fits for the needs of the people. Canada has done this well in the past and will continue to do this well into the future.
