In contemplating the cultural dimensions of learning a language, it was interesting and helpful to read Figuring Foreigners Out. The reading focused on the differences (spanning diverse cultures) that relate to how people consider aspects of "identity," such as nonverbal communication, personal space, touching, eye contact, and more. After reading the article, I felt as though when you learn a language, you must not only consider the "linguistic" elements, like grammar, spelling, etc, but also the cultural aspects of where the language is spoken.
For me, the idea of culture as a part of language learning was initially difficult to grasp when I was learning Punjabi. As a child, my father would try to teach me the alphabet, phrases, etc, but I never really learned about Indian culture. Although I was raised in a family with Indian heritage, we lived like a typical American family with regard to personal space, touching, eye contact, etc. When I went to India for the first time, although I knew some Punjabi, it was so difficult for me to get used to being perceived to be Indian, but having American/Western body language and attitudes about touching, nonverbal communication, etc. Sometimes, people in India assumed that I understood their nonverbal communication methods because I could communicate in Punjabi and appeared to be Indian. But it was very difficult for me to get used to having less personal space and the differences in eye contact between people of different genders.
Thus, in learning Hindi now, I'm focusing also on learning more about the gestures, eye contact, etc -- all aspects of Figuring Foreigners Out. My past experiences, as well as the reading, have illustrated to me how key it truly is not to neglect learning about the cultural dimensions of learning a language.
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