Many people believe that books, movies and the internet enable them to learn as much about culture as travel does, so they do not have to go on a trip to other destinations for such a purpose. However, while I admit that those channels are informative, they fail to provide the learners with the latest information or practical experiences; therefore, people still need to go travelling to learn about culture .
On the one hand, there are many sources from which everyone can learn about the culture of a place without visiting there. Firstly, they can have more understanding of cultural traits of a region by reading books that include pictures and descriptions about that region’s culture, such as how they cook their local ingredients or greet foreigners. Documentary movies are also of great help as most of them provide the audience with sound effects, allowing learners to hear the locals’ voices and languages. On top of that, culture can be learned through the internet, on which people can access a variety of video clips or articles published by various travellers, so learners can acquire more diverse information from different angles.
On the other hand, I believe that it is better for learners to pay a visit to the country whose culture they want to know more about. Although abundant, the information provided by books and movies might soon be out-of-date because the world is always changing, and therefore, what was written or recorded a long time ago can hardly ensure its accuracy. For instance, new fashion trends and new words are invented every year, so learners ought to travel to learn what local people actually wear and speak in contemporary society. Besides, people cannot have hands-on experiences if only staying home and reading reviews posted online. Instead, they should get directly exposed to the culture they are curious about so that they can have their own experiences and assessments without relying on others’ subjective standpoints.
In conclusion, despite the ample source of information from books, movies and the internet, people need to travel around to learn better about the culture of somewhere