Language, Translation and Culture

The role of a language in the formation of identity is critical. The linguistics Robert Le Page and Andrée Tabouret-Keller suggested that linguistic behaviour might best be understood as “a series of acts of identity in which people reveal both their personal identity and their search for social roles”.

Languages have been created to describe our environment. If this changes, languages also evolve. For instance, indigenous in Canada's Northwest Territories typically have at least 13 terms for different types and conditions of snow because the different snow conditions are part of their everyday life. Languages and dialects reflect attitudes and values. Therefore to fully understand a foreign language, we have to able to comprehend the socio-cultural environment that was the foundation of that particular language or dialect.