How does learning a foreign language help with cultural awareness?

Contrary to popular belief, learning a foreign language is not simply about being able to speak it. It is about understanding and experiencing another culture and society and through this broadening your own perspectives and views on the world.

Many prospective language students greatly underestimate what it means to be culturally aware. No matter how familiar you are with your native culture, you cannot be fully aware of the world unless you have an understanding of other cultures in the world, no matter how insignificant the country is and what it can contribute to global society as a whole. . . The words of a nation are one of the most eloquent representations of its society; For example, finding a word in a foreign language that has no direct English translation reveals a whole new set of meanings, exposing what is considered important to speakers of that language.

Learning a language creates empathy in the student, who starts from scratch to learn a completely different set of sounds; the learner must listen with incredible attention to pronunciation and verbal cues, and in doing so becomes a much better listener, often developing greater patience with others. All of this equates to better communication skills, along with opening avenues of communication between learners and those who are fluent in the culture and language. A link develops between the culture and the learner, who feels welcomed into other cultures and free to explore them.

However, cultural awareness extends even further than this. By becoming familiar with a whole new culture, the student explores what it means to be part of a distinctive culture, speak the language, and even what it means to be themselves.

In today’s increasingly globalized society, awareness of global issues has become crucial. For companies to maximize their potential, they need to know not only the state of the market in foreign countries, but also understand the deeper culture of nations to help predict how the market will change in the near future. Negotiations between different countries require some kind of link, and intercultural awareness should help achieve just that; an understanding of the specific attitudes, approaches, and decision-making styles of someone from another culture will certainly make discussions much simpler and more successful.

As a result, many jobs and careers on offer have a multicultural or international aspect, and many of the new openings that are available are in this sector. As a result, one way that learning a foreign language is beneficial is that you will almost certainly have many more job opportunities available to you; it may even be what stands between you and a promotion.

Although various cultural awareness training programs are readily available, learning a foreign language is truly the best way to acquire this skill. Through understanding the language, you can really immerse yourself in the culture and experience much more than you would if you were simply exploring the culture in English. Proficiency in the appropriate language allows you to read and listen to indigenous texts and really connect with native speakers, who are the best indication of what the culture really is.