Nek Minute

'Anthropologists speak of the relations between language and culture. It is indeed more in accordance with reality to consider language as a part of culture.' (Crystal. 2011, p.17). The purpose of this essay is to discuss how language is used to transmit culture. Firstly, this essay will define the meaning of culture and speak of how culture can and is used as a form of identification. This essay will secondly look at the importance of language in many culture societies and also how language plays its vital part in their existence and also the preserving of one's culture. Lastly, this essay will look at transmission of language and culture and how together they are both learnt and taught.

Language is important in cultures because, language expresses cultural reality. 'Simply because culture is transmitted through symbols whose meanings remain more or less constant doesn't mean that cultures are static and don't change'. (Jervis. 2006 p.12). Members of community and social groups, create experience through their language. In the Cook Island culture, we learn our language and culture by singing our island songs, dancing, reading the bible at church and listening to the way our parents and the older men and women talk. The Pacific Islander culture follows customs and traditions based on ancient principles that promote living an honourable and noble lifestyle

Language is transmitted as part of our culture, it is stated that culture as a whole is transmitted largely through our language. In ways in which we transmit our culture through language are the use of traditional practices for example in the Māori culture the use of the powhiri is very much alive today as it was many years ago due to the transmitting of cultural practices via language. Also in Māori society the use of the pepeha is a very much practiced form today as it was years ago this is very vital to the Māori culture as it is a way in which they tie links to not only the person presenting the pepeha but the tribal roots.