Blog Post 8: Neque day two


According to the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, language shapes culture. I think that language is an imperative part of any culture and it is true that language determines the way a person can see and experience the world, however I think that today made it clear that language is not the only way to get a glimpse at a culture. Despite knowing very little Spanish we were able to connect with the children through play. We played soccer with the kids and did crafts and helped them with homework. I think that in order to try to understand a culture you must know some of the language, but in order to connect with someone you need only to share a "language," which can be anything such as play or cooking. We were able to connect with the kids through play and other avenues but we cannot understand their world without understanding their language. In order to try to understand any culture it is important to understand the language; language makes up the lens through which we see the world.

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