Does language exist without culture? Or does culture exist without language?  The answer to either of these questions is no, one cannot exist without the other.

Language is an important component of culture. Every culture has some form of language used to communicate; and all languages belong to a culture proving that the relationship between the two is inseparable. Throughout hundreds and thousands of years, languages have continuously evolved alongside the culture they belong to, making it clear that in order to learn a foreign language, one must also gain an understanding of its culture. The interrelation between language and culture coincidentally helps improve one’s ability to translate because it is a way of enhancing the true meaning of something, instead of just translating it word for word.

How do you learn and understand a language?

Some may argue that it is the “simple” act of memorizing hundreds of vocabulary words, verb tenses, basic grammar rules, and practice enough to learn it all. While these are important factors in learning a foreign language, one of THE most critical aspects is still missing. It is Culture. Understanding the culture of a target language expands your engagement in the language, and is especially necessary in order to communicate well with natives. Cultural knowledge lays the foundation that make it easier to learn not just the words, but expressions, phrases, idioms and their accurate meaning. Learning cultural context also helps in engaging with a foreign language at a different level than just flipping through a dictionary.  It helps to see and understand how native people live, interact and talk with one another.

How do you understand culture?

It’s time to look further than textbooks, books on tape and/or dictionaries. The best way to dive in head first is to immerse yourself in the culture. The more you know about a culture, the more you will understand the language, and the more you will be able to converse with the natives, while avoiding offending someone or embarrassing yourself.   Much like in English that is a contextual language, in Spanish too, the same word may have various meanings depending on where it is used.  Many times the words’ meaning is quite the opposite in the context. For example: the Spanish word “rato” translates to “while” or “bit”, but is used differently in different countries. In Mexico it is used to describe a short period of time, whereas in Spain it means a long period of time.  Or, the word “capulla” which translates to “bud” (flower) in most Spanish speaking countries, however in Spain it is used as an insult to call someone an idiot or jerk.

It is important to understand cultural differences when learning a foreign language in order to use the words correctly in different situations as well as in different countries. Being aware of cultural context allows you to give the correct meaning to each new word and use it accurately in real life situations.

I have found this to be true from my own experience. After high school I chose to study abroad in Costa Rica for a year.  Embarking on this adventure, I felt confident in my knowledge of Spanish. What I did not know is that the Mexican Spanish I had learned in high school would do me no good in Costa Rica.   Upon arrival I was abruptly reminded that as a little white girl from Boulder, Colorado, I had a lot to learn. It took me about three months to find my bearings, be comfortable in my new home, and communicate with my new family who spoke hardly any English. Some might ask, why did it take you so long to be able to communicate if you had already learned so much about the language before moving? What I now know looking back, is that it wasn’t the language I needed to understand first. it took me three months to learn and understand the culture in Costa Rica.  The cultural knowledge is what made me able to communicate with the locals and feel proficient in the language.

Why is all of this also important for good translations?

Learning culture helps you understand the true meaning of what people are saying or what is written in a text, especially regarding slang words or conversational idioms that cannot be translated word for word. For example, the English phrase “It’s raining cats and dogs” if translated word for word would have no meaning to a foreigner. The art of translation is to take one language, dissect it from a cultural viewpoint, and relay the same meaning or message in another language. Effective translations are not about translating words, but about translating ideas, concepts, perceptions that come from a culture of people with their own distinct way of thinking.

Effective translations reflect the process of building bridges and relationships between people, cultures, and languages.  It is extremely important to understand and recognize the role in which culture plays in learning a language and subsequently translating into or from that language. Without culture, meaning may simply get lost in translation.