In today’s globalized world, learning about different cultures is more common than in the past, so many people believe that one of the effective ways to gain a deeper understanding of foreign cultures is to learn their language. Language carries the subtle nuances, idioms, and historical context that define a society’s mindset, while there are other ways, such as experience and cultural exchange.
On the one hand, language is the mirror of a nation. In other words, if a person learns a foreign language, he/she will start to understand its culture, literature, idioms, and so on. Because when a person is getting a handle on another language, the learner seeks authentic materials, such as articles for reading and videos, and at that time, he/she receives various information about the culture. For instance, the linguistic theory known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis proves that learning a language is the best way to understand a culture because a nation’s vocabulary directly shapes and reflects how its people think and perceive the world.
However, there are other ways to learn culture apart from language. One of them is real experience. Just as practical experience often supersedes theoretical knowledge, firsthand experiences – such as visiting the country and immersing oneself in its daily lifestyle – remain one of the most effective ways to truly grasp a culture. According to 2023 statistics, 60% of Turkish culture learners learnt faster from traveling around Turkey than other ways.
Taking everything into consideration, the language of a nation is the best way to learn its culture, while some other ways can provide opportunities to learn it. Broadly speaking, language can help us deepen cross-cultural understanding, and real experience can help us feel its environment and cultural heritage. Therefore, experience and language are the key combination for understanding culture.