Do some preliminary research on what interests you about your target culture. How would you qualify the relationship between language and this topic? Do you need any special vocabulary or linguistic knowledge to engage this topic? If so, have you included objectives in your learning plan to engage this topic?
**This journal post is intended to help you formulate foundational preparation (scaffolding) for your final presentation.**
Replies
Growing up in Malaysia, I've been surrounded by my target culture, but more specifically, the multiracial representation in society. However, I recognize my biases as an ethnically Chinese person, as I've only seen a third of what culture is out there. As such, I wanted to see what specific aspects of culture are reflected in a shared Malaysian understanding of culture, and what aspects are specific to an ethnic cultural identity. I think the best way to do this is exploring aspects of identity that can be shared by ethnicities and within ethnicities.
I've looked at different aspects of culture, notably food, folklore, music, and festivals. However, one thing that stands out to me that is apparent across cultures is the use of language specific to royalty. In Malay, there is a term for it called 'Bahasa Istana', which can directly be translated to as Castle Language. There are strict guidelines over what pronouns each member of royalty could use for each other and to the general public. I remember learning about this in classes back home and struggling to find a difference. There are different words and terms to use as a king, as a sultan, and as the general public addressing one another. Here are some notable examples with pronouns:
beta - used instead of says (I/me) for royalty
patik - used instead of saya for people addressing royalty
baginda - alternative for them/him/her (dia) to refer to royalty
I think your exploration of food, folklore, music, and festivals, along with language, will provide a well-rounded view of Malaysian culture. I look forward to seeing how your research unfolds as you delve deeper into these aspects!
Confucianism was deeply rooted in Korea’s language and society during the Joseon era, and its influence remains prevalent in modern Korea. It’s significantly shaped Korean society and linguistics, particularly through its emphasis on respect and hierarchy. One area where Confucian principles are especially apparent is in the Korean language, through the use of honorifics and polite speech. These features are determined by factors such as age and social status, with age being the most central. Even being just a year older can dictate how individuals interact and address one another. For example, someone older by just a year might be addressed with terms like "oppa" (오빠) or "unnie" (언니), instead of being addressed casually by name. These terms are a way of showing respect and acknowledging the hierarchical relationship. Exploring the cultural and linguistic influences of Confucian philosophy has deepened my understanding of how it continues to shape the Korean language and interactions. Learning about this aspect of Korean communication helps me be more aware of certain nuances and provides insight into the cultural values embedded in everyday life.
Over Fall break, I’ve been reading George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. Inspired by that book, I’ve been interested in being able to interpret different accents within Brazil. Doing some research for this discussion post, however, revealed that experts consider there to be about 16 distinct dialects within the country. With that in mind, I believe that an alternative topic would be better suited for my current level.
I think learning Brazilian idioms would be most valuable for three reasons. First, idioms are an excellent means to understanding the values, professions, and experiences of people within a culture. Second, idioms are rich in nuance and can only be understood by outsiders with many examples and lots of explaining. Going through online resources, I won’t know which idioms are colloquially used and which are old-fashioned, out of style, or regional. Since UR is generous enough to provide me with a language partner, this feels like an excellent use of my resources. Third, using idioms will impress native and non-native speakers alike. Brazilian speakers will appreciate being able to talk more naturally with me meanwhile my American friends/classmates in SDLP will enjoy the worldly similes and metaphors I would be able to conjure and share with them following this project. Idioms are fascinating and memorable ways of looking at the world that foreigners and natives alike can appreciate.
Idioms are a fascinating and memorable part of any language. I won’t need any special vocabulary or linguistic knowledge to engage with this topic, likely what I’ll need is more cultural knowledge, something my Brazilian language partner and friends could provide.
Within my learning plan I haven't yet included any specific goals to target idioms. Perhaps I should, although I think I’ll learn a good deal of them by preparing my final presentation on them and being more keenly aware of idioms for the rest of the semester.
Here are some of the sites I would use:
https://adamabroadbrazil.wordpress.com/2018/09/24/the-weird-and-wonderful-idioms-of-brazilian-portuguese/
https://www.aventuradobrasil.com/blog/the-most-famous-idioms-of-brazil/
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/portuguese/portuguese-idioms/
I loved reading about your interest in Brazilian idioms! It’s smart to focus on this topic instead of tackling all the different accents and dialects in Brazil. Understanding idioms will definitely help you connect with the culture and the people more deeply. I agree that you might want to set specific goals for learning idioms in your plan, but I think preparing your presentation will help you pick up a lot along the way.
Your reflection highlights such a thoughtful approach to language learning, especially in recognizing the cultural depth that idioms offer. I admire how you’re leveraging your resources, like your language partner, to engage with Brazilian culture in a meaningful and practical way. Idioms are undeniably essential for understanding the values and nuances of a culture, making your focus on them a vital and enriching aspect of your learning journey.
Emotion expression through lyrical writing, such as poetry and song lyrics is of particular interest to me in regard to advancing my knowledge of Korean. Among Halliday’s seven functions of language, the interactional, personal, and imaginative especially stand out to me to aid in the creative expression of thoughts and emotions. Having communicative and sociolinguistic competence is extremely important in understanding context and making appropriate judgments when it comes to interpersonal interactions, and I have observed that more and more as I continue to immerse myself deeper in learning Korean. For example, when speaking Korean with friends that are studying internationally from Korea, I have noticed that they share stories in ways I would have never thought to describe in such a way. Essentially, it reminds me of figurative language, such as metaphors, imagery, similes, idioms in the English language. I am interested and determined to learn more about how I can accurately convey my thoughts and emotions in a way that can be more easily understood, rather than my portrayals being mere equivalents or similar enough translations, in which the story and emotions lose weight. I plan to do this by engaging in more conversations in Korean and breaking out of my comfort zone, allowing myself to share my ideas in ways that may not initially be easily grasped by others, as this will help me to grow and further develop my vocabulary.
One of the things that interests me the most about Korean culture is how people communicate based on social relationships, especially through different discourse styles. For example, you use different speech levels depending on who you're talking to, whether it's a friend, a stranger, or someone older. This means that language and culture are deeply connected, especially in terms of how respect and social roles are expressed.
To better understand this, I’ve realized that watching Korean TV shows can help me learn these different discourse styles. TV shows provide a real-life glimpse into how people interact in both formal and informal situations. Characters switch between formal (존댓말) and informal (반말) speech, depending on their relationships and the context, which is a great way for me to observe how language changes depending on the social dynamics.
For communicative competence, I’m focusing on learning how to apply different discourse styles. For instance: organizational competence, which is the understanding of how to structure Korean sentences correctly and how formal versus informal speech affects sentence endings; and pragmatic competence, which is the learning of when to use formal speech versus informal speech in social situations. Watching TV shows allows me to see how people adjust their language based on who they are talking to, which is key for navigating Korean social interactions.
Through TV shows, I can pick up on how people speak in different scenarios, whether it's in a workplace drama where formal speech is required or a casual scene between friends using informal speech. This allows me to practice adjusting my language in various contexts, which helps improve my overall communication skills.
It’s smart of you to use Korean TV shows as a resource for learning about discourse styles. Observing characters switch between formal (존댓말) and informal (반말) speech provides a practical way to understand these dynamics in real-life situations. Your focus on both organizational and pragmatic competence is essential for effective communication.
I've started learning by watching Korean tv shows and having discussions with my language partner this semester. I think it's such a fun and creative way of learning a language. Really effective too! I've learned so much about Korean culture and the ways it influences the Korean language.
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