Is Study Abroad a Necessary Part of Language Program - Report Example

We live in a world that is characterized by various multicultural systems across various societies or nations. Because of the different cultures in the world, people communicate through the use of many languages. Therefore, there is a necessity for individuals to acquire or learn other languages apart from their native ones for the purpose of realizing effective communication and interaction in the global society. Our cultures are defined and developed by the languages we speak, and therefore, people should make initiatives of engaging in language learning programs.

Kramsch (1998) argues that language is the medium through which human beings can conduct the social domain of their lives. Language is also used to ensure that there is proper communication, which involves the exchange of ideas, opinions, and meanings among people. For us to use language for communication, it must give a reflection of the cultural factors that exist in complex and multiple ways. Language is very significant in expressing cultural reality in our societies. First of all, the words that are uttered by people give a reflection of common experiences.

Moreover, these words provide an expression of the ideas, events, and facts that can be communicated because they contain the knowledge of the world that is worth being shared by individuals. Again, language helps in fostering people's ideas, beliefs, and points of view about a phenomenon in society. In addition, people do not only show the expression of their experiences but also use language to create their experiences. Another way through which language is used to embody cultural reality is through the non-verbal and verbal means of communication.

People give meanings to their experiences through the nature of the medium they choose to use, for example through telephone communication, through e-mails, and much more. Lastly, based on Kramsch's arguments (1998), language also involves the use of many signs that represent cultural values in different regions or states.