University of Education Lahore

Department of English
Course Title: LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND IDENTITY

Topic: LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Programme: MA ENGLISH AND BS ENGLISH

Course Code: ENGL2117

Instructor Name: DR. HUMAIRA IRFAN KHAN

What is language?
Language (laŋɡwɪdʒ) is:
❑ the method of human communication either spoken or written, consisting of
the use of words in a structured and conventional way
❑a system of communication used by a particular country or community
(www.oxfordreference.com)
Features of a language

A language is:
❑arbitrary
❑productive
❑creative
❑systematic
❑vocalic
❑social
❑non-instinctive
❑conventional
Functions of a language
A language tends to be:
❑instrumental
❑regulatory
❑interactional
❑Personal
❑Heuristic
❑imaginative
❑representational
What is culture?
Characteristics of culture

Culture has five basic characteristics. It is:

❑ learned
❑ shared
❑ based on symbols
❑ integrated
❑ dynamic
Examples of culture

A few examples to understand culture are:

❑customs
❑law
❑dress
❑architectural style
❑social standards
❑religious beliefs
❑traditions
Importance of culture

Culture is important because it includes:

❑intrinsic value
❑social and economic benefits
❑improved learning and health
❑increased tolerance
❑opportunities for interaction
❑quality of life
❑overall well-being for both individuals and communities
Specific cultural functions of a language

❑serves to pass on and shape culture, and culture shapes language in

return
❑intrinsic to the expression of culture
❑creates and shapes the needs of a culture as it changes
❑ represents the culture of a particular social group
❑points to objects that are unique to a particular culture
 Relation between language and culture
❑Learning about culture is just as important as learning the languages.
To fully appreciate a language, we need to understand the culture of
the people who speak it
❑Communication or language is a mechanism for channelling culture
and cultural bonds that reflects and reproduces culture
❑Language is not only an expression or a means of communication,
but a component of a culture that makes it unique and specific
• When we learn a new language, it doesn’t specifically involve only the
alphabets, the word arrangements and rules of grammar. It also involves
the specific society’s customs, values and beliefs. The difference
between two cultures are reflected perfectly in their languages. It is
important to understand people who grew up with an entirely different
set of values and beliefs to understand the real relationship between
language and culture.
❑When we grow up in a society, we learn the glances, gestures and the
pattern of voice and tone of communication of that society to emphasize
what we want to say or do.
❑These techniques of communication are often learned mostly by
imitating and observing people which is part of both the language as well
as culture.
References

❑Language (2020) Available at: http://www.oxfordreference.com

❑Language and Culture (2020) Available at: http://www.britannica.com
❑Nunan, D. & Choi, J. (2010) Language and Culture: Reflective Narratives
and Emergence of Identity. London: Routledge