The Cultural Benefits of Second Language Learning

Posted on March 20th, 2010 in second language learning by Gary Birch

What is a Culture?

Like all complex questions this one looks so simple. We use the term “culture” as though there is no problem and we all understand what it means.

  • Italy has a very rich culture.
  • I immersed myself in the culture of Italy.
  • I learnt about French culture in the cafes of Paris.
  • Jean is a cultured Frenchman.

If we asked the speakers of each of these statements what they meant by culture we might be surprised at their answers. No doubt many would associate the word with art galleries and museums, or perhaps libraries or theatres or opera houses. Others might be thinking of something a lot less grand and have in mind the everyday life of the people – what they are talking about and how they are talking about it as they go about their daily business, what they are looking at on their televisions in the evening, or the songs that are being sung on the radio.

I know when I visit France it is all these things that I am looking for and the sum of them all is part of the treasure that sustains me and enriches my inner life. This is in addition to what I have drawn from my exposure to other cultures, especially my own Australian culture. If you were to ask most tourists why they were spending their money to visit some far away destination, you would probably find that their answer involved the expectation of experiencing another culture.

But why would they want to do this? Is it simply that the experience of another culture adds another dimension to their lives? Do they feel it contributes to their growth and that they are richer for the experience?

The Relationship between Language and Culture

Few people who have spent any time in another culture would doubt that there is a relationship between culture and language. Certainly, it is not possible to conceive of a culture without including language in the equation. But is language merely a part of culture or does it in some way determine the culture. Does Pierre speak French because he’s a Frenchman or is he a Frenchman because he speaks French? What does being a Frenchman mean? And what about me? What effect does learning French have upon my cultural identity, the very way I see things?

In the first half of the twentieth century, two anthropologists, Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf, addressed this issue in a way that sparked controversy at the time and still divides opinion. Their speculation was articulated as an hypothesis that bears both their names.

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

“We dissect nature along lines laid down by our native languages. The categories and types that we isolate from the world of phenomena we do not find there because they stare every observer in the face; on the contrary, the world is presented in a kaleidoscopic flux of impressions which has to be organized by our minds–and this means largely by the linguistic systems in our minds. We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe significances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in this way–an agreement that holds throughout our speech community and is codified in the patterns of our language. The agreement is, of course, an implicit and unstated one, but its terms are absolutely obligatory; we cannot talk at all except by subscribing to the organization and classification of data which the agreement decrees.”(Whorf: 1959)

It is worth spending some time thinking about what the above quotation claims, about the relationship between language and the way we perceive the world around us. Put simply, it says that it is our language that determines the way we perceive reality. So, a Frenchman perceives reality differently from an Italian or a Japanese or an Australian, etc.

As you might imagine, this has caused considerable debate and few linguists accept what has been called the “strong form” of the hypothesis, that language determines thought and, by extension, culture.  But equally, few would deny the relationship that exists between a language and its culture. But rather than attempt to solve a “what came first the chicken or the egg” puzzle, we would do well to acknowledge that a language can give insights into a culture, and that the culture has impacted significantly upon the development of its language.

Second Language Learning: Its Cultural Benefits

In learning a second language we are forced to come to terms with another world view. Unless we do this, we cannot  be said really to have learnt the language. This may be a difficult and disturbing thing, but it is incredibly rewarding. On the way to becoming bilingual,  our cultural threshold undergoes an expansion and we will never be the same again. In fact, nothing will ever be the same again.

Most people would see the development of cultural knowledge as a desirable activity. But most people approach it as outsiders and their learning is superficial. In approaching it through learning a second language, you are much more likely to gain an insider’s understanding, especially if you also cash in on the social benefits of language learning and “infiltrate” a second language community. Then you’ll see things differently because you’ll be forced to view things through the lens of another language.

Social Benefits of Second Language Learning

Posted on March 15th, 2010 in Benefits of second language Learning,Cultural benefits,Economic benefits,Intellectual benefits,second language learning,Social benefits by Gary Birch  Tagged , , ,

The Isolation of the Monolingual

My second language is French and I love visiting France – after the first week, that is, when my ear has become attuned again to the language. Then I enjoy being able to do the shopping, order a meal in a restaurant, ask for and understand directions, and all the other things that I take for granted when I’m back home in Australia. But, most of all I enjoy being invited into someone’s home for a family meal and being able to sit around the dining table chatting, laughing, joking, and arguing (a favourite French pastime!).

This is in contrast with my experiences in Italy. My wife was born in Italy and migrated to Australia when she was eight. Her English is native-like and we have never spoken to each other in any other language. She speaks perfect Italian (and her French is as good as mine).

When we go to Italy, she has what I imagine is the onerous task of translating for me and negotiating every day transactions such as shopping, ordering meals, and asking directions. Because many of her relatives live in Italy and her family has many friends there we are the lucky recipients of an enormous amount of hospitality which nobody does better than Italians. These are lively and joyous occasions with lots of laughter and brilliant repartee in both standard Italian and the local dialect. I would love to be able to join in and contribute something to the occasion. I am reluctant to ask my wife for a translation because I know that it will remove her from the flow of conversation. So rather than spoil her enjoyment, and because I know that I wouldn’t be able to join in anyway, I assume the role of confused observer, smiling or laughing when it seems appropriate, nodding my agreement at I know not what, and suspecting that I am coming across as being slightly retarded.

After a day of trying to figure out what’s going on and never being entirely sure, stress levels are high and rising to the extent that the title of “grumpy old man” is not entirely unfair. Evening sees me feeling a little better having soothed the stress with a few glasses of the local wine and looking forward to shutting down by watching Italian television. Unfortunately, not even the visual clues can compensate for my lack of language and soon I have drifted off only to be woken an hour or so later with a neck that requires the services of a chiropractor (if only I knew how to explain to one in Italian what ailed me).

The First Step out of Isolation

The last time we went to Italy we met up with my brother-in-law who, to my knowledge was a monolingual speaker of English. He had visited Italy the year before and, I guess, having  experienced the frustrations of monolingualism had decided to start learning Italian. As is to be expected, he hadn’t transformed himself into a fluent speaker of Italian in one year. However, on arriving in Italy, he set about making the most of all opportunities to practise his Italian with anyone fortunate enough to cross his path. And an interesting thing happened; everyone seemed to welcome the opportunity to engage him in his pidginized attempts to communicate, no matter how inane the message. Furthermore, the more he massacred the language, the better his ability to communicate in Italian became and the more delighted the Italians were at his attempts to use their language. By the time he was ready to return to Australia, his confidence and his Italian proficiency were exploding. And his circle of Italian friends had expanded.

If we compare his experience with mine, a number of important lessons can be learned.

Second Language Learning Yields Social Benefits

There is no doubt that what made my brother-in-law’s experience more socially rich than mine were his attempts,  however unsucessful they may have been, to learn and use the second language. Second language learning is more than just an attempt to learn another ethnic group’s communication system; it carries the message that the users of the second language are worth making the effort to engage in communication on their own terms. English speakers are notorious for expecting the whole world to speak English. The fact that English is the second language of most of the world is irrelevant to the issue of the social significance of language use. The Italian is not blind to the implications of the native English speaker expecting (almost as a God-given right) to be understood in Italy.

Why do I so enjoy my time spent in France? There is no doubt in my mind that it’s because I speak French. Why does one hear so often from English speakers that the French are arrogant? Perhaps it’s a reaction against the arrogance of the English speaker who expects the French in France to speak English. I haven’t found the French to be particularly arrogant as a people. That is not to say that I haven’t met the occasional arrogant Frenchman. But I suspect we could say the same about any ethnic group. We can never know a people until we interact with them socially and we can’t really interact with them socially until we make an attempt to speak their language.

Once the social benefits of second language learning start to flow,  a range of other benefits follow inevitably, such as the cultural, the intellectual, and the economic. Each of these represents great riches that await us when we embark on the learning of a second language. But because a language is a social thing, it is the social aspect that needs to be given top priority and it is this aspect that makes second language learning such a potentially enjoyable process.                                                                                                   © Gary Birch.  March, 2010

Welcome to the Second Language Learning Blog

Posted on February 2nd, 2010 in Language learning environments,Language learning factors,Motivation,Psychological factors,second language learning,second language learning cognitive process,Second language learning strategies by Gary Birch  Tagged , , , , , ,

Did you realise that there are more speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL) in the world than speakers of English as a first or native language? People born in a non-English speaking country soon learn that they need English to function successfully in the modern world. And when we English speakers travel, we’ll usually find somebody with enough English to help us buy a meal, or a ticket to a museum, or direct us to our hotel.

But we often come away from such encounters feeling we’ve missed out on something. Did our inability to speak the language leave us feeling unsure as to whether we’d been taken down? If only we’d been able to speak the other language, would we have got more from the experience? Would we have felt less vulnerable if we didn’t need to depend so completely on the good will and honesty of strangers?

All of these reactions strike a chord with anyone who has travelled in a non-English speaking country. And most of us have been on the verge of  learning a second language from time to time only to be brought back to reality by memories of our school-based experiences of second language learning, which were both unsuccessful and painful. And we then rationalise that because we speak English we don’t really need another language.

This is a pity since we are missing out on a whole range of benefits that come with successful second language learning. These might be grouped under some or all of the following headings:

  • Social benefits of second language learning

It is more likely that we will be accepted in a foreign culture if we are able to speak its  language.

  • Cultural benefits of second language learning

Language and culture are interrelated. It is inevitable when we learn a second language that we’ll gain insights into the culture in which that language is embedded.

  • Intellectual benefits of second language learning

Recent research has shown that the brain benefits in a range of ways by the learning of a second or subsequent language.

  • Economic benefits of second language learning


As it is realised that people who speak second languages have definite benefits over monolinguals, businesses and government bodies dealing with foreign economies have become more willing to pay for these additional skills.

But if only second language learning wasn’t such a difficult process!

Well, the truth is, it’s not as difficult as a lot of people (mainly English speakers!) imagine. In fact, it is possible by following a few simple principles to learn a second language both quickly and efficiently and have fun doing it.

How to learn a second language

In this blog, I will discuss a range of factors that influence second language learning and use these factors to show you how you can become a more successful second language learner.

Among these factors I’ll cover:

  1. The settings in which second language learning takes place, such as:

  • Living in settings (both real and virtual) where the language is used

An absolutely essential prerequisite for second language learning is constant exposure to real-world language in use. This is best achieved in-country, but with advances in computer technology, virtual settings can be accessed on the internet as well.

  • Attending formal second language learning classes

Most language learners (especially adult ones) will benefit from the guidance of a good teacher

  • A combination of these two

We will explore how you can organise for yourself enjoyable and effective combinations of these two factors, in ways that won’t cripple your budget.

2. Psychological factors that influence second language learning, such as:

  • The way the mind processes a second language

We now have considerable insights into how the mind goes about processing second language input. This knowledge will help you to learn from the new language you come in contact with in real-world settings and in classrooms.

From studies of how good language learners go about learning a second language, we now have a range of tried and true second language learning strategies which you  can use to transform yourself into a successful second language learner

  • How attitudes and motivation can help you to learn a second language

Just as all forms of learning respond to good attitudes and strong motivation, so your second language learning will be affected by these factors. I will show you ways in which you can maintain effective attitudes which will energise your motivation.

By tapping into all these factors this blog will reveal how you can make second language learning a pleasant and effective process so that you will learn the language  of  your choice and share in the many benefits that accrue from learning a second language.

© Gary Birch