"WE BREATHE IN OUR LANGUAGE AND SWIM IN OUR SECOND" -ADAM GOPNİK

Learning a foreign language means more than just mastering its grammar, vocabulary and phonology. 21st Century Jociety Crosses borders confidently, each new day exploring the most hidden pats of our planet and bringing changes. Successful cross cultural communication requires culturally aware communicators, those who respond appropriately in a given social context, show empathy, tolerance and openness towards other communicators. Language and culture are related and dependent on each other. Language is formed by culture, while culture is influenced and impacted by language. Language is the medium of culture. Culture and language shape one's identity and personality. This the importance of culture and language to one's individual identity.

This is clearly seen in immigrant societies in for example in America. These immigrants are accustomed to a certain language, and therefore, despite the assimilation, will continue to use it and keep it alive, creating different and cultured societies in this foreign land to keep the language alive. Not only is language an expression and a display of heritage and history, it is also the component of culture that makes it unique, and that creates and difference from one to another. Moreover the nature of language and culture may be expressed as "the person who learns language without learning culture risks becoming a fluent fool." Peoples need to be aware of the fact that learning a language is not just paying attention to how something is written, translated or pronounced. What they should acquire is "competencies that enable them to mediate/interpret the values beliefs and behaviours (the "cultures")of themselves and of others and to "stand on the bridge or indeed "be the bridge" between people of different languages and cultures." Since motivation is crucial for learning a second language, teachers should aim to make their language instruction as much interesting and contextually relevant as possible.

Learning Foreign Language is very useful for young people today. Learning a new language can be a part of your preparation for college or graduate school. Beign able to speak a foreign language and having experience with a different culture looks good on any application. It's necessary for your work if you are hired from a company that works in another country. It is usefull even for you have to learn a new language for family reasons, but many people hail from immigrant families and once you get into the second and third generation, it's very often the case where the local language is your first language rather than your family's original tongue. You'll probably want to learn an new language to make things easier for yourself if you want to travel around the world. And, another reason is to make new friends, learning to speak their native language makes you more connect.

-Hediye Belgin Nebioğlu 10L