Language, Culture & Identity



Relationship between language, culture and identity & Implications for language teaching and language policy

Introduction

The paper discusses the language, culture and identity: relationships and implication on the language teaching and language policy. The paper discusses the relationship between culture and language.

The paper argues that there is a relationship between culture, language and identity and this have a direct impact on the teaching and policy of teaching.

Following is the outline of the essay:

Relationship between culture, language and identity

Implications for language teaching

Implications for Language Policy

Conclusion

The cohesion of the essay is informative and persuasive which proves to the reader that there is a certain relationship between language and culture and identity. It also proves that the relationship between the three factors impacts the language policy and teaching.

Relationship between culture, language and identity

According to Leveridge, N. Aubrey (2008), there is a deep and wide relationship between language and culture. For the maintenance and conveyance of culture and cultural ties, language is used. Various cultures provide different ideas in different languages which form an intertwining network. It has been argued that all infant children are the same. They are deeply influenced by the life, opinion and language they enter. The interactions mould up the child where the children is mentally and physically the same. The accepted behaviors and patterns vary from place to place. A particular life of society is governed by the culture where language is used as a form of expression. Culture influences individual's views where the language is also shaped by the culture. Through the knowledge of language, the culture and people can be understood. People brought up under different behavioral backgrounds and cultural situations, use different languages for expressions and communications and hold different views about the world. Different forms of languages are said to bring different thoughts. One form of language is to express one's ideas. Every language has a certain limitation and therefore an individual who belongs to one culture but speak different languages, will surely have different world views. Language is passed on from one generation to another where the culture is deep rooted and reflected. This also signifies that learning a new language means learning a new culture. This also means that teachers of language teach culture as well.

According to Leveridge, N. Aubrey (2008), this is important for the teachers to completely mingle language with culture when they are language teaching and involved in language policy. The teachers must teach language along with the cultural background, language usage, appropriate teaching styles according to culture and linguistic based cultural differences for the promotion of understandings of the prejudices and misconceptions. Awareness and understandings of cultural awareness is created through the language policy. Language policy is written for the incorporation of cultural values to be taught.

According to many authors, language and culture is the same thing. It can be said that the culture exists and expresses itself through language where at times culture is more than the language and vice ...