America the Baffled: One in Four Americans...

[Kaneman]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

So if I lived in bumfuck Nebraska, and I took classes in Greek, how am I going to discuss shit with anyone? Aint' gonna be any Greek speakers in bumfuck Nebraska. And last I checked there weren't any Greek cable TV channels. I guess you could fuck around on the internet and find something, but that's about it. Personally it wouldn't be worth the effort unless I had near-daily interaction with Greeks, or went to Greece and lived there for a bit.

Avatar is correct in his assessment that language and culture go hand in hand together. I've seen this first hand in my sport, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, where many of the serious practitioners like myself learn about Brazilian language and culture simultaneously. The way Brazilians use Portuguese, the attitude and flow of the language says a tremendous amount about their culture, and can be considered a stepping stone to understanding them as a people.

To learn a language IS to learn about the culture. You're learning how they communicate, which words and values are emphasized and important in their culture. To learn a language without gaining insight into that language's culture would take a good deal of stubbornness and effort.

So, in my case, even though I've never been anywhere near Brazil I have good insight into their culture simply from being around people that speak their language and seeing how they communicate with each other.