Language Drives Culture, Culture Drives Life
Lennon Wall, Praque, Czech (c) Xinjin Zhao, 2021

Language Drives Culture, Culture Drives Life

Language drives culture, and culture drives life. Of all the skills that a person could have for navigating this increasingly connected world, few serve individuals as well as knowing how to speak another language. Although the predominant language of international business is English, speaking another language not only helps with understanding new ways of thinking, but also enhance your ability to have empathy to others and resolve differences. 

The majority of Europeans speak more than one language. Among the often cited number of 300 million English learners in China, about 10 millions of them can speak and converse in English. Proficiency in English is increasingly tied to economic, social, and educational success. According to 2018 census, a record 67.3 million U.S. residents spoke a language other than English at home. However, The American Councils for International Education survey estimates that only 10.6 million K-12 students in the United States are studying another language. A general complacency has dampened efforts to increase foreign language educations in the US.

Here I thought I would share a few phases in different languages to drive home the point of how language and culture are so interconnected. Please note that the purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate the cultural context of languages, not to over generalization or stereotyping different cultures.

Ganbaru (頑張る) in Japanese

Ganbaru is one of the first phases I learned when I started studying Japanese in college. It is a ubiquitous Japanese word which roughly means to slog on tenaciously through tough times. It is often translated into something along the line of "doing one's best", but in practice, it means much more. One needs "to commit oneself fully to a task and to bring that task to an end". It can mean persistence, tenacity, and hard work with a connotation more resembling the word “strive” but with a doggedness mindset. The term has a unique importance in Japanese. Japanese culture values perfection. More importantly, they always respect great effort.

Guanxi (关系) in Chinese

Guanxi in Chinese is another word which often comes up in business culture discussion. Although the literal translation of the word is “relationship” but the sub context of the word is much more than relationship. It is more about the networks or connections used to open doors for new business and facilitate deals, or about exploring and leveraging whatever connections to establish a trust necessary for getting thing done. One might try to establish a trust through mutual acquaintances. For example, we in the United States often use alumni network for job searching, while belonging to the same football clubs might be more important in UK. In China, someone from the same town or region might provide an instant common language for a reason to trust. Guanxi seems to be much more important for business in China, partly due to the fact that legal framework or regulations tend to have more gray areas for interpretations. While lobby in the US focuses on development of favorable rules and regulations, how one interprets existing rules and regulations can be just as important in China.

Avos (аво́сь) in Russian

Although I have been to Russia many times for business travels, I do not know the language at all other than a few simple greetings such as “thank you” and “good morning”. I came across this word авось (avos’) from an article which described that how this word was almost impossible to translate, but played a key role in Russian lives. It describes a philosophy of behavior, or attitude, of a person who ignores possible problems or hassles and, at the same time, expects or hopes for no negative results or consequences. It is an attitude that treats life as unpredictable and holds that the best one can do is count on luck. It has various meanings with strong emotional connotations. It is always an expression of hope for success, even when the reasons for success are few. It is the hope for a stroke of luck when there is little real chance of it that reflect a deeply ingrained culture and become part of the national character.

Feierabend in German

The German language has the strength of precision partly because it enables a speaker to use combinations of multiple words to form a single term. Feierabend is such a word which is roughly a combination of the words Feier (celebration) and Abend (evening), a word describing the time after work is done, and a period of leisure and rest begins. Although Germans are often stereotyped as efficient and productive workers, my experience with German colleagues or business partners is that they have a better management of the distinction between work and life. With the increasingly blurry lines between work and life with working from home arrangement, to have a word reminding people of work life balance is an interesting reflection of the underlying culture, recognizing the importance of disconnecting and reclaiming of the free time for recharge and rejuvenation.

Gerrymandering in America

When it comes to America, Gerrymandering is one word that come to my mind which is not only invented in the US but also a reflection of the current political environment in the United States. On the one hand, US democracy system has a very robust system to ensure the integrity of the election system. On the other hand, political parties still find ways to create fair or unfair advantages, partly responsible for the current polarization. The word Gerrymandering is named after the Governor of Massachusetts Eldridge Gerry who signed a bill in 1812 that created a partisan district in the Boston area that was compared to the shape of a salamander. Two hundred years later, the process is still being used to create partisan advantage in the political process. Political manipulation is by no means unique in the United States, but American is unique in inventing a word to describe the practice.

There is a view that language barriers are becoming a minor problem with technology such as Google Translate which can solve everything. The reality is technology can help translate the language but it will still likely take a human to provide the cultural context, at least in the foreseeable future. For those of you who read this from all over the world, please share some unique words in your own languages which have taken on a far extended meaning, and of course the context why it is more than just a word but a reflection of the underlying culture. Let me close with a quote by bestselling author Rita Mae Brown: “Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.”

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Alfonso Ramos Jr.

People First | HR Professional | Marine Corps Veteran

2y

Salud in Spanish (American). Salud is one of the first Spanish words my parents tried to teach me the meaning of. Which the meaning is dependent of the context it is being utilized in. Before we analyze the meanings and how they are situationally utilized, I'd like to articulate that I chose to define 'salud' because it reminds me of the caring nature of my Mexican culture. Salud can be utilized to say, "bless you" after a sneeze. Conversely, you say 'salud' after clinking glasses as a gesture of cheers. And where I first heard the word 'salud', which prompted my parents' tutelage, was in church. During the "Sign of Peace" portion of mass, it was common to say to each other, "que tenga buena salud" or, in short, "remain healthy."

Alfonso Ramos Jr.

People First | HR Professional | Marine Corps Veteran

2y

You have a brilliant mind, Mr. Zhao!!

Machaelle (Chaelle) Diaz, CPC, CMA, CPMA, CRC, CCS-P, RAC

Coding & Quality Program Manager, Risk Adjustment Accuracy Management at Highmark Inc.

2y

Great piece! I love

Santosh A M

Business analyst - P&C Insurance | Digit Insurance

2y

Well said .

David Ginsberg

Fundraiser, Consultant

2y

I agree with this absolutely

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