It is often said “when is Rome, do as the Romans do”. Do you think people should adapt and accept the culture of the country they are visiting? Do you think it is possible to learn a culture without learning the language?

There are several nations with different communities that follow different sets of principles. These sets of rules have to be respected by a visitor because they have been followed by natives for ages and should be followed by guests until they are comfortable with them.

However

, learning the local

language

may or may not be necessary as a visitor, but it can definitely save time in adapting to the new

culture

. As an outsider, to establish good neighbourly relationships and feel welcome in the new place, it is important to demonstrate an effort to become part of the community. Knowing and adapting to the customs of the new place is important because it helps in socialization with the residents,

moreover

, it makes us move comfortably with them.

For instance

, Gifting red and yellow flowers symbolizes love and friendship in most parts of the globe but these are not acceptable in Russia, because they mean a breakup and survival of war veterans respectively.

Therefore

adapting to the customs of the new country increases our chances of survival.

Similarly

, Human

language

can be considered a

culture

’s most important feature since complex human

culture

and

language

could not exist without each other. They are inseparable because

language

encodes

culture

and provides the means through which

culture

is shared and passed from one generation to the next.

For example

, Humans think in

language

and do all cultural activities using

language

.

Thus

learning a

language

definitely helps in gaining knowledge of the

culture

.

To conclude

, in order to prevent

culture

shock we should definitely adapt to the new customs and traditions in the place we move in and

language

will definitely determine to what extent an individual can survive in

this

new environment.