Learning Other Language and Culture in English

As an English learner, you probably think that by learning English you will be able to learn English culture and language. That's true. But it is not limited to it. People who can speak and understand English can learn other languages and cultures as well.

For instance, after learning and speaking English fluently, you might be interested in learning Russian. You will think that you have to begin from zero again and while you are learning Russian language and culture, your English knowledge will gradually decrease.

If that is your case, I want to say that you can learn Russian language without have to jeopardized your English language skills. Here is what you can do, learn Russian through English. How can you do it? Well, there are many books written in English about learning Russian language and culture. It means that while you are learning Russian, the language of instruction that you use is English.

Similarly, you can study Russian culture with English at the same time. There is a free satellite TV called Russia Today. It is a state owned Russian television which you can watch using satellite disc antenna. The presenters and news readers speak English but during the program they present Russian culture and introduce some Russian words and phrases.

Such satellite tvs are also available for Chinese with its English version in CCTV 9, Korean with its English TV Arirang, Japanese with its English broadcast NHK and etc. These TV broadcasts present cultural and language programs in English. They hope that the tv viewers will understand more about their countries if they use English in their programs.

So, if you are learning a new language now, try to learn it using English as your language of instruction. It works if you are at the beginning level. If you study deeper then you will need to use and embrace your new language exclusively to accelerate your understanding about the new language. Bahasa Indonesia version: Mempelajari Bahasa dan Budaya Lain dalam Bahasa Inggris. This article was written by Charles Roring in Manokwari of West Papua - Indonesia