Language and culture: interconnections and influences

Language and culture are inextricably linked. The ways in which one's culture is directly attributed to language development are well documented in the academic literature, though there seems to be little consensus on the processes involved in language acquisition and the ways that culture is manifested in both socialization and language development. One assertion, however, seems widely accepted; culture is a learned attribute that language helps convey to others. Because people use language to impart cultural beliefs and societal mores, the nexus between language and culture is an important consideration in the field of education and communication, especially concerning the varied pedagogical theories of child development. Much of what has been studied in the field of both communications and education concerning the connection between language and culture is attributed to a Russian born educator named Lev Vygotsky.

Lev Vygotsky

Vygotsky believed that children developed and acquired knowledge through the assistance of competent others; perhaps their own parents, teachers, or even higher skilled peers. However, Vygotsky believed that higher cognitive processes manifested themselves through a systematic imbuing of cultural and societal expectations. The mechanism to impart cultural norms, Vygotsky argued, was language; specifically, interpersonal communications. While much of Vygotsky's theories are beyond the scope of this assignment, it is important to detail the connection between culture, language and higher cognitive processes.

Through social interactions, children, Vygotsky thought, learned cultural habits and customs, including patterns of speech, written and oral language conventions, and symbols, through which social meanings were derived. These culturally derived meanings, in turn, affect a child's construction of knowledge and meaning. Of course, the skill sets and customs learned are varied because cultural differences exist in the development and acquisition of knowledge. For example, while children in North America might depend on an adult or competent peer to learn how to ride a bicycle or how to kick a soccer ball, children from Pacific Asian islands might learn how to weave a blanket or knit a shawl; both are culturally-based and socially valued activities. In this way, the knowledge a child gains is socially constructed during interactions with others, who serve to validate and support the child's knowledge and learning processes.

Essentially, then, tools and symbols represent the intermediary between a child's learning and the socially required or desired skill sets in a given society. Vygotsky argues that a child's cultural development occurs in two separate, equally important, stages; first, in a broad social setting, then, internally, so that the child internalizes the social and cultural manifestations learned in infancy. As Vygotsky writes, "Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological), and then inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts; all the higher functions originate as actual relations between human individuals" (Vygotsky, 1978, pg. 57).

Article summary

For this paper, I found an article entitled Language and Culture: Socialization through Personal Story-Telling Practice (Kyratzis, 2005). This secondary source article reviewed prior research analyzing two neighboring communities; South Baltimore and Daly Park. Kyratzis (2005, pg. 147) writes that "When educators or child development researchers observe children utilizing communicative practices and narrative styles that diverge from their expectations, they need an understanding of the language practices of the community to help situate those differences." In other words, when children speak differently than outsiders might expect, it is necessary to investigate the source of the child's language acquisition and skill sets (i.e. The larger community of the child). Essentially, Kyratzis notes that family narratives and communal dialogues are important considerations for educators and therapists in an effort to better understand divergent, situational language patterns and attendant behaviors. When there are conflicts between what is spoken by a child, for example, and what a teacher believes should be spoken, or what other children may believe should be spoken, then a devaluing of the divergent language can ensue. This conflict, Kyratzis (2005) argues, is not productive but, rather, provides an opportunity for educators to incorporate different oral representations, stories and narratives into a more holistic, inclusive language curriculum.

While not a particularly well-written article, Kyratzis' work suggests that in our socially diverse society, it may be appropriate to consider other, differentiated language skill sets to better serve the needs of every child, thereby providing a broader support mechanism for each child, regardless of social expectations.

Conclusion

In summary, the work of Vygotsky on the interaction between language and culture has proven a foundation for current research. While Vygotsky's theoretical underpinnings may not be widely accepted, they are essential to understanding how children communicate in families, communities, countries and cultures. Of course, much research has been conducted to find new and appropriate ways to support children in education, such as that of Kyratzis (2005), I think the issue of language acquisition and cultural influences is especially important for educators in today's globally diverse society. The more we know about the cultural differences of others, the better situated we are, I believe, to understand our own unique contributions to family, community, and country.