Currently I am studying Korean with my language partner. As mentioned before, Korean is not the first foreign language I have studied. Regardless how many languages I have studied until this point, there are certain things I make myself aware of when learning a new language. One of these things is the cultural aspect of it. For one reason why the cultural dimension is an important concept to study is because there is always associated vocabulary with the language. One of the cultural aspects Korea is the idea of collectivism. While in America, we refer to things as ‘my’ when describing their possessions. While in Korea people refer to things and people as ‘our. In the same way, Koreans share their food together in a collectively manner.
Korean Dinner
In Korean culture, everyone individually have their own bowl of rice but that is only personal aspect of the meal. Throughout the meal everyone share the food from the table and share the food equally. While in western culture is normal to have a personal plate while we gather our food from the table and proceed to eat from our own personal eating space. There is less concept of a personal space in Korea. Korea has less of an individualist approach to everyday situations and more collectivist.
American Dinner
Culture is very important to understand when studying a language because both are directly correlated. For example, I have already described the differences between a typical Korean meal setting versus an American dinner but what if a Korean immigrated to America? It can be assumed regardless of the foreign surroundings, the Korean would try their best to preserve their culture. Another understanding between language and culture is culture supports and defines the language.
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