IV. Culture, Intercultural Competence, and Pragmatics

What to expect:

Have you ever heard someone say, “This just doesn’t directly translate,” when you ask them to tell you what something means in English? Perhaps you’ve even had to tell that to someone else. This isn’t a catch-all for a lack of vocabulary or grammar knowledge. Often this is due to a lack of terms or expressions related to cultural differences, so it comes down to difficulty in capturing the cultural context, historical significance, and emotional depth that the original language holds.

In this chapter, we will explore these connections, especially how culture and language interact with, and build off one another. We will also look at how when we learn about new languages and cultures, it can influence and diversify how we perceive the world.