Cultural Influence on Language
This term describes how someone’s pronunciation is shaped by where they grew up.
What is an accent?
This is the first language a person learns at home.
What is a mother tongue?
This language became widespread globally due to the influence of the British Empire.
What is English?
In Spain, people often say “vale,” which means this in English.
What is “okay”?
“Break a leg” is an example of this type of expression.
What is an idiom?
This refers to a variety of language associated with a particular region or group.
What is a dialect?
Switching between two languages in one conversation is called this.
What is code-switching?
This country has four official languages, reflecting its diverse culture.
What is Switzerland?
This language includes major varieties like Mandarin and Cantonese.
What is Chinese?
This communication style avoids direct statements to prevent conflict.
What is indirect communication?
This type of language changes depending on the situation, like formal vs. casual speech.
What is register?
These are expressions whose meanings aren’t literal, often learned at home.
What are idioms?
In Japan, language often changes to show politeness and respect.
What is formality?
This is one of the native languages in Minnesota and it is not fully written or translated.
What is Dakota?
Words like “y’all” reflect this type of language variation.
What is regional dialect?
This term describes how people adjust their speech to match or differ from others in conversation.
What is accommodation?
This term refers to the cultural identity tied to the language you grow up speaking.
What is linguistic identity?
This refers to rules set by governments about language use in a country.
What is language policy?
This term refers to differences in vocabulary or pronunciation across regions of the same language.
What is regional variation?
This term refers to shared phrases or sayings within a specific cultural group.
What is cultural expression? (Or speech community norms)
This concept explains how language reflects social identity, including class or ethnicity.
What is sociolinguistic variation?
When a family gradually stops using their original language over generations, it is called this.
What is language shift?
This term describes when one language dominates others due to political or cultural power.
What is language dominance? (or linguistic imperialism)
This happens when languages influence each other due to contact between cultures.
What is language contact?
This concept explains how meaning can depend heavily on cultural context rather than exact words.
What is high-context communication?