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"The Importance of Language in Intercultural Learning”

I have been an AFS Chile volunteer for many years, involved in various aspects of the program. Recently I have taken on the task of explaining more in depth one of the aspects that I consider extremely important in the exchange experience.

The following is a short introduction to a sociological view of the importance of language in the construction of one’s world view, as one encounters a different culture.

First, one must take into account the difference that exists between learning the meaning of a language and learning its grammatical structure. The former, the sense of structure, or semantic meaning of a language, incorporates the connotation of words and phrases and underlies all grammatical forms, which in turn provide the basis for communication. As a result, in order to understand the meaning of a new language, one must first understand the culture to which it belongs.

Understanding the meaning is not the same as learning the grammatical structures of a language. For example, a child can study Danish in Chile; nevertheless, the only way this child will be able to understand what “Venskab” (friendship) means is by combining his or her own sense of structure (possibilities to imagine oneself in the world) with the cultural meaning of “friendship” in Denmark, which one can only accomplish via personal experience.

Once this difference is recognized, one can analyze the process of social and/or intersecting interactions that an AFS participant experiences during his or her exchange. What occurs, in principle, is a constant, symbolic interaction (tension between different attributions for meaning in the context of everyday life—time with friends, family life, school life, etc.—where the use of language is emphasized; different meanings for the same word or symbol). This is relevant to the AFS experience because it is all developed in a new cultural context. For this reason, the differences in meaning that one encounters during the exchange experience are converted into new stimuli and, as the months pass, these stimuli broaden the horizon of possible meanings available for each AFS participant (acceptance of difference).

Therefore, intercultural learning, from my perspective—based on psychological principles of symbolic interactionism—is the conjunction of distinct attributes of symbolic cultural meaning which is incorporated by way of experiencing a different cultural context.

The possibilities available to learn new ways of communicating through personal experience permit us to incorporate into our structure of expectations—horizon of meaning—new ways of interpreting the world, new ways of guiding one’s actions, which is only possible through the intersecting actions between individuals who perceive the world from different languages.

Consequently, understanding a foreign language means not having to translate to one’s own language, but rather living it.

For this reason, more than just using interactive models such as the Iceberg to explain what culture is, it is necessary for people to understand the importance of learning the language of the host country, going to school, learning to write well and, as corresponds to each individual situation, being responsible regarding house-hold chores, friends, romantic relationships, etc. In every intercultural situation there are symbolic interactions, which, when confronted in a positive way, will permit the student to better understand cultural life in his or her host country and to achieve new levels of social and cultural capital, characteristics of a citizen of the world.

Theorical references

• Methodological Individualism / Intentional actions: Max Weber
• Hermeneutics: Hans Georg Gadamer
• Oriented Reciprical Action / Forms of socialization: Georg Simmel
• Symbolic Interactionism/Theory of Self: George Herbert Mead
• Challenges of Globalization: Boaventura de Sousa Santos

Translation into english by Anna Collier. The spanish version of it you can find it in the following link:

http://caminocomunicar.blogspot.com/2010/10/la-importancia-del-lenguaje-en-el.html