Many people think that the best way to learn a culture is to learn the language of it. To what extent do you agree or disagree？

It is believed that the optimal way to access cultural literacy is by mastering the language. I believe that

this

opinion can be valid to some extent;

however

, linguistic skills can be vital to reach the native level. On the one hand, a fraction of foreign

cultures

can be learnt due to the advantages brought by translation and modern technology.

Firstly

, some parts of the

culture

, like history and philosophy, can be recorded by words and translated into other languages, which makes it possible for

people

to learn about the

cultures

. In

this

way,

people

from every corner of the world can probe into the basics of different

cultures

through various ways,

such

as encyclopaedias, magazines and other media.

Secondly

, facilitated by convenient streaming services, more rapid transportation and higher-quality video recording technology, educational content like documentaries of

cultures

can be reached by the mass, which paves the way for learning different

cultures

.

On the other hand

, when

people

are not satisfied by the basic understanding of

culture

and willing to dive

further

, learning the language that carries the

culture

will be inevitable. For one thing, some cultural heritages like dances and religious rituals are intangible, which requires a person to reach a sophistic level to understand. For another, books, videos and other means of information conveyance cannot replace the

first

-hand experience that can only be cultivated by cultural immersion, which signifies the mastery of languages is irreplaceable. In conclusion, I partly agree with the idea that

people

can learn a certain amount of new

culture

without learning the language because of translatability and educational content.

However

, if a person wants to gain full knowledge of

cultures

, mastering the languages is essential because the intangible cultural heritage and

first

-hand experiences cannot be conveyed in other ways.