Cultural dimensions of learning a language...
I've heard the saying that language is a mirror of culture. This is true because I agree that language and culture are closely related. Culture has a huge influence on the language of one's country therefore language acts as a verbal expression of culture. The Korean language reflects many different aspects of Korean culture. For example, when Koreans speak, they tend to use the word "our" more than they will use "my". So when a person is conversing about his or her country, instead of saying "my country" one will say "OUR country". This is a reflection of Korean culture because everyone living in Korea is more collectivistic as opposed to Western cultures where they are more individualistic. Their way of thinking is that the group that the individual is in is more important than the individual itself. A group is more valuable than a single person.
Another way culture influences the Korean language is the different forms of politeness when speaking to people of different age groups. People of Korea are generally known as extremely courteous people who differ from the Chinese and Japanese. There are several different expressions for saying one/same word which all depends on who the person is talking to at the time. It can range from super informal to polite to extra polite. Because of the bureaucratic culture and respect to elders one must choose the appropriate phrase when speaking to others. Many characteristics of the Korean language are the results of Korean culture.
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