It has been thought by many that to fully understand the culture of a country, it is necessary to be fluent in its language as well. While I understand where this is coming from, I believe that a culture can still be understood without knowledge of its language.
To start, different cultures can be understood by using many different forms of media. For example, art or carvings were used back in the early days of civilization to depict and communicate many ideas and traditions. With those, the people of today are able to draw out conclusions to have a clear view of their traditions. The use of such media can be translated to the present as well, in the form of artwork and paintings. Depending on the depth of the drawings, it can foster an even better understanding for us compared to the use of words. Secondly, we can create a general understanding of their customs just by observing them. To elaborate, we can monitor their actions and mannerism, and interpret the reasoning behind it. Their authentic behavior and way of life can be more accurate as well as more memorable to the viewers. Ensuring a proper perspective of them can be given.
However, the issue lies in the level of understanding. With the use of words, researchers can not only gain a general understanding but also an in-depth experience of their lifestyle. This creates a deep level of understanding and connection between the researchers and the people of that origin, which is not something that can be easily achieved through other forms of understanding. While translation tools do exist, complex words that explain situations in great detail are unlikely to be translated properly. This makes the translation of the original language less accurate and unwise to use.
To conclude, although understanding the language can create a great understanding of the culture, other forms such as arts and actions, can still offer a general understanding and empathy for their tradition as well.