Something from the reading that really resonated with me is this: language - the means for communication among members of a culture - is the most visible and available expression of that culture.
This reinforces why learning a language coincides with learning about the culture. It is so important to not only understand words and grammar to communicate in another language but to also know the dynamics of that culture. Something we discussed in class at the beginning of the semester was that one sentence can have many different meanings depending on its context and intonation. If you do not understand the cultural norms and societal values you can completely miss the meaning or a statement or offend someone without meaning to and the list goes on.
Israelis, for example, are very straight forward and aggressive (from our American point of view). It is very easy to mistake the meaning of what they say because it is not "PC" and may make others feel uncomfortable. Having realistic expectations for people is very important in relationships and even simple conversations; so knowing that an israeli person is going to be blunt and honest is a good thing to know and expect.
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