Figure 1. Culture as an Iceberg
This is a great visual representation and I love the iceberg analogy being used here because it's true, there's so much more to culture than what meets the eye. Generations of ideas, behaviors, attitudes all work to form associations with these examples and how they are regarded and put into practice by a certain group of people.
There isn’t just one definition of culture… because it is not an easy task to define culture.
I'm glad this sentence was included. It's very true, culture is a very fluid and expansive thing that embodies a lot of different aspects of people, places, and practices and I think it would be doing a disservice to contain it to a set few examples.
Do you feel like you were able to soak it all in? Perhaps you’ll need to reflect on what you’ve read a bit. After all, as you’ve learned, reflecting is a crucial part of the learning process.
This was a great demonstration to me of how repetition helps me to learn. Being introduced to a concept, having some material to help expand upon it, and then being able to revisit it in summary and see it's application is one of the most effective ways I am able to commit something to memory and sustain the knowledge of it. I'm glad this last part of the chapter was added in because it gave me a chance to reflect on this.
Having fun with others while learning
This is such an underrated aspect of education. Being able to have fun, be inspired, and make positive connections with your experience makes a huge difference, even just from a scientific standpoint. Dopamine and serotonin are proven to help increase attention and improve memory retention. It's no wonder people tend to excel in classes, subjects, and environments they genuinely enjoy. It brings fulfillment to our bodies, literally.
Keeping our task specific keeps our end result of the goal clear and focused.
Having a specific goal is a much better approach when learning is so important because it gives purpose. I find it easy to overload my own brain and have trouble absorbing information when I'm not clear about the why and how to begin with. This advice is very helpful and makes me more mindful about not overwhelming myself with so many things. It's better to set clear, attainable, and direct goals that will continue to encourage me.
Metacognition is not a linear process; It is a cycle that repeats itself. There isn’t a ceiling that qualifies the “absolute best” study habits or metacognitive abilities. Metacognition gives us the opportunity to constantly improve
I really appreciate this quote being included because it's incredibly true. Metacognition is very much a process of continuous growth. Realizing that it's much more of a cycle than one linear process is very important in being able to apply this knowledge in different areas of study. In language learning specifically, it helps to evaluate where we're at, where we want to go, and have self awareness in our own process.
Is there a time you’ve experienced misunderstanding someone because of differences in pragmatic understanding? Misunderstandings like this can come from a variety of factors: social groups, age, life experiences, and more can impact how we interpret implied cues. Looking back, have you run into this before?
This is one of the most confusing parts for me in learning a new language because at it's core, a lack of pragmatic understanding makes communication awkward and or ineffective. I liked having this reflection section because it emphasizes how misunderstandings are not always due to unclear language, but also just from differences in background,.
the focus of pragmatics, or “the study of how context affects meaning” (Anderson et al., 2022, Chapter 8, para. 1). Pragmatics shows us that culture speaks. It is not voiceless, and it can influence language.
I loved reading about this because it's true- there's a lot more going on in language than just the literal questions and statements of fact. People usually talk for a reason and with a purpose, and there can be more going on in what they're saying than just the meaning of the sentences. Tone is a small example of that when used to communicate explicitly or implicitly, or cause someone to react favorably or unfavorably. Language is much more rich than just the pure semantic denotation of words and sentences out of context.
Media such as movies, memes, theater performances, video game commentary, cooking videos, exercise instruction, and much more can be found with a simple online search. There is a wide variety of materials available made for speakers of all levels, from speakers of all levels.
I think this is one of the most beneficial ways I've been able to use and have exposure to other languages. Whether it's listening to music or watching a movie in a different language, I always find myself feeling more engaged with my learning because I have real tangible things to make connections with. It's also much more fun than reading everything out of a textbook and a great way to improve listening skills and build familiarity with a language or culture.
A common theme in our discussion was recognizing that as a study abroad student, you are going into a culture to observe it rather than judge it. It’s important to educate people about your culture as well, especially if they ask, but you shouldn’t necessarily make any assumptions or draw any conclusions about their culture. You don’t have to accept all of it, either, but you can’t ignore it, and you shouldn’t judge it.
This is such an important thing to understand and embody before truly being able to immerse yourself in whatever new culture you're exploring. Just because things are different doesn't mean we always have to categorize what is good and bad, or what is better or best. Sometimes its enough to acknowledge and learn about the difference and not internalize every thing we experience in this world.
such as family or community gatherings and “kitchen table talk”. However, they may find it challenging to discuss school topics or politics in their heritage languages if these are not discussed at home. It is also very common for people in these contexts to develop listening skills in the heritage language more than speaking skills
I relate to this so much. It's interesting how different and adaptable languages can be. I grew up using Spanglish in my household, with only one parent knowing Spanish and having to be mindful of translation. This experience definitely reflects when I communicate with native speakers. I'm accustomed to a slower pace and the expectation of picking up a few English words in between. I still find myself being much better at understanding and listening in Spanish than I am about articulating myself in it without the occasional English phrase, and I think this perfectly put into words how I feel about it.
For example, the standardized variety of French from Paris is most often taught in French language classes in the U.S. but there are many other varieties of French in the world to choose from, including those spoken in other parts of France, in some countries in Africa, in Louisiana, or in Québec.
I think this is something that has always made me feel very disadvantaged when learning languages solely through the education system. The standardized varieties of language limit the scopes of what languages are and can be. In my experience taking Spanish classes, I was often scolded and given lower grades when using slang words and phrases associated with Mexican and Chicano culture and not using vosotros, even though they were more relevant to my own use of the language and communication.