ExploringtheRelationshipBetweenLanguageandCulture

【Abstract】It has long been a hot topic for learners to study the relationships between language and culture. This paper will concentrate on the relationships between language and culture to study the problem in them. Language and culture's relationship is complicated. They are related and can't be separated. Language is the carrier of culture. The form of culture can be expressed by language. Language is also a part of culture. So different countries have different languages and different cultures. Language can display different cultures. It's important for this paper to reveal the relationships between them.

【Key words】Language； culture； relationship； influence

【摘要】研究語言和文化之间的关系一直都是学者热议的话题。本文重点着眼于语言和文化的关系来研究它们之间存在的问题。语言及其文化，它们有着复杂的关系，既要联系又不能分开。语言是文化的载体， 文化是通过语言表现出来的， 语言是文化的一部分。因而，国家不同，语言与文化不同，语言可以通过文化表达出来。本文重点揭示语言和文化的关系。

【关键词】语言 文化 关系 影响

I. Introduction

Language is a part of culture and it plays an important role in the language. But the relationship between language and culture is more complicated than the relationship between the segment and the whole thing. For one thing， language is the culture's carrier and container. All the factors of culture can be evaluated by language， such as word outlook， convention， aim， art and technique and so on. People' s experience about their culture is transmitted by their language， too. For another， language is influenced by culture and culture is also influenced by language. Language and culture interact and the understanding of one needs the learning of the other. Language is a person's symbolic image and language comprises the person's religious and historical backgrounds or the way of thought.

II. Introduction to language and culture

language is a part of culture and reflects culture； learning a language is inseparable from learning its culture. Language and culture have a close relationship. Language and culture affect each other and they cannot be separated.

language is a series of symbols and rules for combining the symbols that are understood and used by lots of people. Lots of parts are similar in languages.

Culture is the practices of a society and beliefs. Beliefs are expressed by language and such practice is transmitted. Culture frees us from the nature. At the same time culture imposes lots of principles on us. Clyde Kluckhohn was an anthropologist. He believed that culture can not get away from language. The learners should study language and culture together. It is good for us to know that culture is important to language. It is a great progress that language is developing.endprint

Language and culture which evolved together have been mutual1y dependent through the whole history. The recognition that language and culture are inseparable and related since Haver Currie first used the “sociolinguistics” in 1952. Within the approach to sociolinguistics， that was known as a cultural nature of the language and this has been more attentively studied in the topic of language and culture.

2.1 The definition of language

There are many definitions of language because it is too complicated. Actually， language can be a form or a way to express in our communication， like postures， gestures and languages. Language has different means for everyone. However for many teachers in school， language is a means of grammar rules. For others， language maybe a creative activity in different meanings. Language mustn't be used without people and social cultural cannot separate among people. Therefore， studying language is like we don't comprehend a symbol system， both language and social culture are needed in studying. Language is a part of culture. In short， people use language when they begin to produce language. Language can record and express spiritual culture. But language don not represent culture.

2.2 The definition of culture

Firstly E. B. Taylor defined the definition of culture. The first feature of culture was provided by him. He believed that culture included a lot of things such as knowledge， art， morals and so on. It is important for people to learn the whole life. And learners tried to give different definitions. Therefore， culture includes material things and non-material things. Material things are just like artifacts and non-material things are like values and so on. Culture is a very complex thing in conception. It refers to behaviors such as behavior outcomes and attitudes. It also refers to material and spiritual wealth. The process of historical activities created he summation of them.

Yan Ming said that culture can be learned； culture is a system of sharing knowledge； culture influences behavior； culture is shared in community； culture is comparative.

III. The relationships between language and culture

When thinking about the relationship between language and culture， some people often say that language is a part of culture. People don't know the time when language and culture emerged， but we can know that they both appeared at the same time. Language and culture cannot separate.endprint

Secondly， Language is the carrier and container of culture. The experience and knowledge are stored and described in language. Behavioral patterns， habits and customs can be analyzed and described in language.

Thirdly， Culture shaped and influenced language as a mirror of culture.

Fourthly， Language has the influences on culture， too. Language and culture can not be separated from each other. Language and culture have a close relation that language makes culture to be learned by people.

3.1 To be a part of culture

English is a part of English culture； Chinese is also a part of Chinese culture. Language and culture cannot separate. Language can reflect concept of value， custom， life style and so on. For example， America and Britain both use English， however， American English is totally different from British English. America is rich and has a large area. Many of them love to use these words“biggest”“best”“great”because they believe in themselves a lot.

3.2 To be the container and carrier of culture

Humans communicate with others and get knowledge and experience from the world by language. Therefore， we may find in language the knowledge and the experience which are interpreted as culture information. Language is a carrier and container of culture， but without language， the knowledge and the experience someone has obtained from someone's interaction with our world can not be passed on to the other ones and the young people. Everyone and every generation may struggle a new for knowledge about our world. If this should be the truth， people would not arrived at the present stage of civilization. Customs can be analyzed and described in language. World views， beliefs， value systems， social institutions can be evaluated， analyzed and described in language. In another word， language can reflect culture.

3.3 To be influenced and limited by culture

There are many new sentences in English whose structures are the result， the reason and the modifier in order. It is quite opposite in Chinese： the modifier first， the reason and the result in order. People can find that like language structures， foreigners in western are more extroverted than people in China， and they love to express emotions directly. Cultural diversity can be the keystone to become languages as the different modes.

The language of Internet is born by the culture of Internet. Even though many Internet languages‘expressions take bad effects on the languages' development， languages become more expressive and vivid.endprint

3.4 The influence of culture

To learn culture's the definition we know that worldview and history both are the important aspects of culture. Maybe the largest difference between Western culture and Chinese culture is that there is a long history in China， but foreigners in western tend to emphasize their short term political organizations that have arisen since the Renaissance. For instance， if a foreigner in western visit China， Chinese people will tell him about the Great Wall， a long history and so on. Because Chinese people have different cultures. However， The Americans are likely to have little sense of their own cultural roots. People in the US are interested in the new things or matters and they love to change and innovate instead of the old things. Chinese has used The Three Character Classic for about eight hundred years for learning the ethical philosophy and classical writing. Language has influenced on culture.

3.5 The changing of language and culture

Language is evolving， changing and adapting to our needs. The change is to show that people do not notice it. There are many reasons for Language changing. Firstly， because the change of the needs of the speakers. Secondly， there are no person have the same experience in language. Thirdly， the sounds in language also change during a long time. Language is changing and so is culture. So the change of language and culture is absolute， the others are relative.

IV. Conclusion

Language and culture is closely related， each influences the other. language and culture's relationship is complicated. Language is a part of culture and the culture's carrier and container. Culture can be represent by Language. Culture influenced and shaped language. In another word， culture is reflected by language. However we don't mean that culture determine language or language has influenced on culture. They are related and influenced with each other.

References：

[1]C Kramsch.Language and Culture[J].Aila Review，2014，27 （1）：30-55.

[2]Mandelbaum D G.Selected writings of Edwards Sapir in language[M].Culture and personality，1949：162.

[3]Samovar Larry A.and others.Communication Between Cultures[M].Brooks/Cole/Thomson Learning Asia，1995.

[4]嚴明.论跨文化交际能力的培养[J].哈尔滨学院学报.2006（01）.

作者简介：王若梅（1987-），女，黑龙江哈尔滨人，硕士研究生，从事外国语言学及应用语言学，特殊目的英语方向的研究。endprint