Quick Chat: Lost in (Cultural) Translation

When you think about the English language, and all the different people around the world whose first language is English, you come to realize that words have different meanings in different contexts—that a phrase or turn of words in one part of the world can take on a completely different meaning in another, yet they are still the same word in the same language.

What occurs is the interpretation of the words and meanings from a cultural perspective.

So, imagine the people who are trying to learn English as a second or additional language: what sort of challenges do they face as they try to interpret and use their newly acquired language skills?

For years, instructors in English language programs like the one taught in the Werklund School of Education’s International Foundations Program (IFP) focused on taking a critical look at the technical aspects of a language learner’s academic writing, without taking into account the cultural perspective a student might bring to their writing.

Now, a new research project considers these cultural factors that influence the second language learner, in an effort to learn more about how culture affects academic writing. 

Audio:

• Quick Chat (11:20)