Language Communication and culture.doc

Language Communication and culture 厦门外国语学校 孙艺 I. Introduction Language and culture evolved and have been mutually dependent through the society. Language is one part of culture, specifically to say, a very important part. Therefore we can say that culture is the background where language exists. Also culture is reflected in language and exists in the intellectual structure of some nation who uses this corresponding language. In the process of communication cultural factors in a language and cultural consciousness in mind interact with each other. Once the original cultural environment is changed or disappears, or the linguistic system that cultural factors leave with is changed, the communication will suspend. Just to use concepts of language themselves is very hard to make communication. And concepts with cultural meanings are needed. Language is one part of culture, but language is the carrier as well. Various kinds of culture spreading, exchanging, developing and extending depend on language. So various cultural factors can be found in language. You can find in both spoken and written language and linguistic activities. II. What is culture? TO put it simply, culture means the total way of life of a people. This simple definition implies that culture refers to the patterns of customs, traditions, social habits, values, beliefs and language of a society. As culture is so inclusive, it permeates virtually every aspect of human life and it conditions and determines all man’s behaviors, including linguistic behavior. There are tow layers of meaning of culture---broad and narrow. And Mr. Qi (威雨村：﹤?文化*对比﹥’s material and spiritual wealth that developed during its social history and practical process: narrow culture refers to social ideology and institutions well-suited with it. In the board term there are tow types of culture: material and spiritual. The former is concrete, substantial and observable; the latter mostly is indiscernible, t