Language, Culture and Learning

"If the language learning program focuses on the code, then it models a theory of language in which the relationship between two languages is simply a matter of code replacement, where the only difference is a difference in words. If the language pedagogies focus on the interpretation and creation of meaning, language is learned as a system of personal engagement with a new world, where learners necessarily engage with diversity at a personal level." (Language and Culture and Learning page 17)

This brief passage, if applied in the field of English teaching, can produce not only good language learners but also excellent interpreters and translators. All of us begin by learning words, vocabulary, and rules for constructing sentences, expressions, etc. However, good translator or interpreters are not the ones that translate literally what is being said, because even if they know the equivalent words in the target language, words by themselves are not enough, for it is crucial to know the language and cultural characteristics of the person who is speaking to transmit the same ideas and concepts to the language and culture of the other individual.

Knowing the people to who we are translating to is also important because it can help us to transmit better the meaning, concepts and ideas in the other language, without having to use a literal or word for word translation. Expressions and sayings differ in language and culture, some have its equivalents but others don't. This is why the forms of language are not enough to convey meaning, it is the language in its cultural context what creates meaning, because creating and interpreting meaning is only possible within a cultural setting or framework.

This make us realize that to be language proficient we also need to become readers of many areas of interest like those of daily life, science, literature, news, etc. Language is a way of seeing, understanding and communicating about the world we perceive, which means that each individual has his/her own peculiar way of expressing their own thoughts, thru a code called language, which may be different from other people, but all trying to do the same, that is, to establish and maintain social and interpersonal interactions.

In the area of teaching, it is important to remember that teachers are also social beings, and as a result they will share what they know with others, and construct their knowledge, based on the values and methodologies they received when they were students. Even though contemporary models and practices exist to teach English, they may tend to teach in the same way he/she was taught, with a more traditional flavor, but is vital to implement the contemporary approach and try to balance theory with practice.

It is important to acknowledge that the role of language in all areas of learning is vital, not only we learn new languages but we also use languages as a medium of study and learning. Although, it doesn't exist a "complete learning theory", as teachers we can use several approaches due to the circumstances, contexts and needs. For example: Behaviorism is more appropiate for translation and grammatical methods; the sociocultural perspective highlights that all learning, including language, is based on social interactions, keeping the cognitive and constructivist approach that new learning is constructed and linked to previous knowledge. There are others few methodologies to learn language that combine a few different approaches, and keeping in mind the use of metacognition elements in the process of learning. It is important to also know how we learn new information. 

Chapter 5 by Giselle Bautista Garcia