The way a culture uses language is often reflective of the actions and speech patterns that are socially permissible in the culture. Going back to the German student from the Culture Shock video, she was confused by the way Americans avoided speaking explicitly when they did not like something. From this, we can assume that German culture is more outright and explicit in meaning when they speak. However, if German students in the US always commented explicitly when they did not like something, Americans would see them as abrupt or even rude. Thus Americans, by a manipulation of language, hide their honest feelings beneath subtly constructed sentences. A culture is exemplified by what its members express or chose to withhold.
One thing I have noticed in my experience with Spanish culture is how little they apologize. Of course, they say "perdon", (excuse me) when they bump into someone, but the word for "I'm sorry" (lo siento) is used only in cases of a very serious nature to convey sympathy, such as the loss of a loved one, or to atone for a very serious offense. In my Spanish classes, American students will use "lo siento" all the time for very trivial offenses. This is in part because they have an incomplete understanding of the meaning of the expression, and partly because it is very natural for them, in American culture, to apologize almost excessively. Not understanding how Spanish culture uses the expression can lead to confusion on both sides. The Spanish people may think the American is being sarcastic, when "lo siento" is used for inconsequential offenses, and the American may be confused because what he said did not have the effect he expected. Thus, the meaning of expressions does not always translate directly from culture to culture, and the characteristics of a culture are shown by what means, and how often, they express feelings and communicate ideas.
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