LANGUAGE CULTURE AND SOCIETY

“ENGLISH(Language) AND CULTURE ARE INSEPARABLE”

Important Concepts:

LANGUAGE - a system of vocal symbols that are used for human communication and are arbitrary.

- as a system of symbols, including words and rules of grammar, which enable individuals
to communicate with one another.
- is primarily vocal

CULTURE – a share set of perspectives, values, beliefs, customs, and practices that are typical of a
community or civilization

- is shaped by the experiences of individuals and vice-versa.

- material or immaterial
- not static(changing)

SOCIETY – a group of people who live their lives in ways that are distinctive from other groups in an
aggregated and structured manner.

- a sizable gathering of individuals who live together with structure and collaborate to
make decisions and distribute labor.

Relevant Concepts:

DIALECT – a specific variety of a language that is unique to a particular region or social group

SOCIOLINGUISTICS – the investigation of the interrelation between language and society.

CODE SWITCHING – the act of transitioning between two or more languages or dialects while
speaking.

LANGUAGE ACQUISITION – the process of acquiring a language, whether as a first or second

language.

- Natural way of learning a language (Stephen Krashen)

- LANGUAGE LEARNING (FORMAL)

BILINGUALISM – the capacity to speak and comprehend two languages.

- not necessarily with the same degree of proficiency.

ANTHROPOLOGY – the scientific inquiry of human cultures and societies.

CULTURAL RELATIVISM – the belief that cultural practices should be evaluated within the context of
the culture in which they occur, rather than applying the standards of one’s own culture.

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION – the act of taking or utilizing aspects of one culture by individuals from
another culture without proper recognition or respect.

ARTIFACTS – objects created by a particular culture, often possessing symbolic significance.

IDEOLOGY – the fundamental principles and morals that support political or social systems.

- system of beliefs
ETHNOCENTRISM – the inclination to evaluate other cultures based on the norms and values of
one’s own culture.

XENOCENTRISM – preference for the cultural practices of other cultures rather than one’s own.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION – the system of levels of authority and status among people in a society.

SOCIAL MOBILITY – the capacity to move between different levels of social hierarchy in a society.

SOCIAL COHESION – the extent to which individuals in a society experience a sense of

connectedness with others.

EXPERTS

EDWARD SAPIR

 Pioneer in linguistic anthropology

 Known for work and language-culture relationship
 Argue language shapes/influences perception of the world
 Different languages create different worldviews

BENJAMIN LEE WHORF

 Student of Sapir
 Continued work on language-culture relationship
 Known for Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
 Suggested language structure affects speaker’s perception of the world

CLIFFORD GEERTZ

 Anthropologist
 Significant contributions to symbolic anthropology
 Argued culture is a system of symbols to interpret and understand the world
 Emphasized studying meaning attached to actions and behaviors

PIERRE BOURDIEU

 French sociologist
 Developed theory of cultural capital
 Cultural capital refers to knowledge, skills, and practices used to navigate social context
 Argued cultural capital is unequally distributed in society and can reproduce social inequality

ERVING GOFFMAN

 Sociologist
 Focused on how people present themselves in social situations
 Coined the term “impression management”
 Described strategies people use to create a particular impression to the others
 Emphasized importance of nonverbal communication and structured social interactions.

LANGUAGE-CULTURE-SOCIETY NEXUS
 Language plays a significant role in culture and society, as it is through language that
individuals communicate their thoughts, beliefs, and values to others.
 Language shapes thought and perception, and different language cultural perspectives.
 Social and cultural dispositions (habitus) are acquired by individuals through their
experiences and upbringing and these shape an individual’s perception of the world,
including their use of language.
 Language use reflects and reinforces social hierarchies and power dynamics.
 Language and gender are related in that the differences in language use between men and
women reflect and reinforce gender stereotypes and power

HOW TO APPLY THE L-C-S CONNECTION

(10 TIPS)

 INCORPORATE FILIPINO CULTURE

o Use examples, stories, and contexts that are familiar to Filipino students when
teaching English.
 USE CODE-SWITCHING
 Encourage students to code-switch between English and their native
language.
 DISCUSS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
o Discuss the cultural differences between English-speaking countries and the
Philippines.
 TEACH ENGLISH VARIETIES
o Teach students about the different varieties of English and how they reflect different
cultures and societies.
 PROMOTE MULTILINGUALISM
o Encourage students to value all languages they speak.
 USE AUTHENTIC MATERIALS (Authentic materials – not intentionally for
classroom/teaching but still used as teaching language)
o Use authentic English materials such as news articles, songs, and films and that
reflect the culture of English-speaking countries.
 ENCOURAGE CULTURAL EXCHANGE
o Encourage students to share their own cultural experiences and listen to others.
 TEACH PRAGMATICS (Pragmatics – language in used – language in context)
o Teach students about the pragmatics of English, such as politeness strategies and
speech acts.
 RELATE LANGUAGE TO IDENTITY
o Discuss how language relates to personal and social identity.
 REFLECT ON LANGUAGE USE
o Encourage students to reflect on their own language use and the language use of
others.
 PROBLEMS WITH APPLYING THE L-C-S CONNECTION

 LANGUAGE BARRIER
o Teachers may struggle to communicate effectively with students who have limited
proficiency in English.
 CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
o Teachers may find it difficult to make English lessons culturally relevant to Filipino
students.
 LACK OF RESOURCES
o Teachers may lack the necessary resources to effectively teach English, such as
textbooks, audio-visual aids, and internet access.
 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
o Managing a diverse classroom with students of different language abilities can be
challenging.
 STUDENT MOTIVATION
o Keeping students motivated to learn English can be a challenge, especially if they do
not see the immediate relevance or importance of learning the language.
 PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
o Teachers may struggle with getting parents involved in their children’s English
learning, particularly if the parents themselves are not proficient in English.
 STANDARDIZED TESTING PRESSURE
o Teachers may feel pressured to teach to the test, focusing on rote memorization
rather than fostering a deep understanding of the language and its cultural context.
 KEEPING UP WITH PEDAGOGICAL TRENDS
o Teachers may find it difficult to keep up with the latest trends in English language
teaching, such as the use of technology in the classroom or new approaches to
teaching grammar.
 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
o Teachers may lack opportunities for professional development, making it hard for
them to improve their teaching skills and stay updated on the latest research in
English language teaching.
 WORKLOAD
o English language teachers often have a heavy workload, including lesson planning,
grading, and administrative tasks.

LANGUAGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

CLASSROOM-BASED – They are the physical or virtual setting in which language learning occurs.

LANGUAGE LABS – They are equipped with audio and visual aids can provide an immersive language
learning environment.

ONLINE-BASED – Language courses are available on online platforms that allow learners to access
them from anywhere and at any time.

IMMERSIVE – Learners are exposed to the language in a natural context, such as living with native
speakers or participating in language exchange programs.

STUDY ABROAD – Learners can learn a language in the country where it is spoken through study
abroad programs.
HOME-BASED – Learners can study a language at home, either through self-study or with the help of
a tutor or language learning software.

SOCIA MEDIA-BASED – Language learning materials, communication with native speakers, and
language learning groups are available on social media platforms.

LANGUAGE EXCHANGE GROUPS – These are informal gatherings (physical or virtual) where people
interested in learning languages come together.

COMMUNITY-BASED – Learners can participate in community events, volunteer work, and language
exchange programs to learn a language.

CREATING A CONDUCIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

 CREATE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT

o Make the classroom a safe and welcoming space for all students.
 ENCOURAGE PEER LEARNING
o Encourage students to learn from each other.
 INCORPORATE TECHNOLOGY
o Use technology to enhance learning.
 PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
o Provide students with constructive feedback on their language use.
 SET REALISTIC GOALS
o Set realistic and achievable goals for language learning to give them a clear sense of
direction.
 ENGAGE PARENTS
o Engage parents in their children’s language learning through regular communication.
 ENCOURAGE STUDENT PARTICIPATION
o Encourage students to actively participate in class through group discussion,
presentation, or interactive activities.
 USING VARIED TEACHING METHODS
o Different students have different learning styles.
 PROMOTE GROWTH MINDSET
o Encourage students to have a growth mindset – the belief that their abilities can
improve with effort and practice.