Chapter 4 – Culture, Intercultural Competence, and Pragmatics
Introduction
Faith Adler; Bibi Halima; and Keli Yerian
Imagine you don’t understand a new phrase you heard in your second language, so you ask someone from a culture that speaks that language for a translation. They hesitate, then say, “It just doesn’t directly translate”. Have you heard someone say this? Perhaps you’ve even had to say this to someone else when they didn’t understand a word in your first language. This translation difficulty doesn’t just reflect a lack of vocabulary or grammar knowledge. Often it 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.
Interviews with Rotary Youth Exchange participants
Throughout the chapter there will be boxes like this labeled either “Author’s Perspective – Faith” or “ROTEX Perspective”. These perspectives are real-life experiences and take-aways from former U.S. high school students who had intercultural insights during the program. Faith, one of the authors of this book, also participated in ROTEX when she was in high school and is now a volunteer with the program. She interviewed three program alumni whose voices you will hear in this chapter. Let’s first meet the ROTEX participants:
Faith is a student of the University of Oregon, studying Japanese and Second Language Acquisition and Teaching. She studied abroad in Japan from 2019-2020. She believes that learning about international languages and cultures is the key to bringing us all together. When she’s not working, volunteering, or studying you’ll see her on the volleyball courts, learning a new language, or adventuring.
Eric is a student of the University of Portland, studying social work. He studied abroad in Thailand from 2018-2019. Eric is an advocate for mental health and human rights, investing a lot of his time back into his own community. When he’s not hard at work or volunteering, you can find him at concerts or exploring the Pacific Northwest.
Gabe is a graduate of Western Washington University, who studied history. He studied abroad in Turkey from 2018-2019 and 2024, as well as in France in 2022-2023. Gabe loves traveling internationally and makes it a priority to get out of the United States and experience new cultures as often as possible. In his free time, Gabe enjoys writing and is currently working on drafting a series of fantasy novels.
Olivia is a current student at Portland State University, studying Middle Eastern studies and political science. She studied abroad in Turkey from 2018-2019. Olivia is passionate about raising up the voices of those who don’t often get heard. She’s been fighting for human rights since before she can remember. You’ll likely catch Olivia hiking or volunteering with her free time.
To learn more about District 5100’s Youth Exchange program, get involved, or contact a committee member, please visit the Rotary Youth Exchange website.
Chapter Goals
At the end of this chapter, I will be able to:
- Define culture, and describe what elements contribute to it
- Explain how cultural and linguistic influences can shape a person’s perspective over time
- Adapt to new cultures and learn about those cultures respectfully, using problem-solving strategies when face-to-face with misunderstandings
- Recognize the relationship between language and culture
- Apply new approaches to learning language and culture
References
Hosseini, K. (2013). And the mountains echoed. Bloomsbury.