2. Definitions of Culture
Culture /ˈkʌltʃɚ/ noun (uttale)
The beliefs, customs, art, etc. of a particular society, group, place or time
A particular society has its own beliefs, ways of life, etc.
A way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
Mental software: patterns of thinking, feeling, and potential acting that is
learned throughout a lifetime, which every person carries with him- or
herself. (Hofstede and Hofstede)
3. Why is culture so important in
language learning?
It is not possible to learn a language completely without learning about
the culture in which the language is used
To fully learn about a culture you have to learn how to interact with that
culture
In order to interact with the culture you need to know the language.
Teaching for linguistic competence cannot be separated from teaching for
cultural competence
Language teaching should demonstrate that there are connections
between language and culture (Sercu et al)