Culture

Culture Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. Culture is something that is learned and is passed on from generation to generation. According to Damen, L. (1987). Culture Learning: The Fifth Dimension on the Language Classroom. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. "Culture: learned and shared human patterns or models for living; day- to-day living patterns. these patterns and models pervade all aspects of human social interaction. Culture is mankind's primary adaptive mechanism" (p. 367). Culture is a very important aspect of life. Through culture people are able to make connection with each other. People are able to acquire ways of living that helps them day-to-day to survive. From birth, culture is learned from the surrounding and environment around people. Culture shapes our values, beliefs, orientation, traditions, structures, behaviors, and thinking. In Chapter 3 on Culture, differences and similarities were discussed from every side of the world. One of the most significant differences in cultures are the languages. There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. Interestingly, even with all those languages spoken around the world, people from different sides of the world are still able to communicate with each other, through symbols, face expressions, and body language. Through that difference, a similarity is found. That in the midst of the language barrier, when its truly needed, we all are going to have to use some body language, some face expression to get through another person. In America, nearly every region of the world has influenced the American culture, as it is a country of immigrants. Although, the American culture is a mixture of different regions, there is still a noticeable difference in Americans way in approaching success, Americans, as the sociologist Robin W. (1965) in 12 Core Values Statement, “Americans place a