Language culture and communication Language is a means

Language, culture and communication Language is a means of communication. Communication is an act of giving, expressing, receiving, exchanging information, ideas, opinions and feelings. There always two parties in a communication process: the sender and receiver. The sender encodes a message and the receiver decodes the message. In other words, communication is an act of encoding and decoding messages.

For an effective communication, the sender must encode his/her message properly and the receiver must decode it appropriately. Otherwise, either the communication will break down or the receiver will misunderstand the message.

To use a foreign language effectively, to communicate effectively, learns must know not only the grammatical rules of the target language but also the culture of society in which the language is spoken, should know how the target language is used in real life situations.

Patrick Moran mentions the five dimensions of culture. These dimensions are as follows: products (food, instruments, clothes, tools, instiutions), practices (verbal and nonverbal language, actions, mimics), perspectives (values, beliefs, attitudes), communities and persons. (Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 2001, p. 24)

Literary works provide invaluable sources to introduce and teach the culture of the target language and to present real life situations.