Multicultural Context

The insides of cultural diversity

Laura Natalia Aros Palacio

Julián Camilo Barreto Romero

Allison Lorena Cushcagua Ibagué

Karen Natalia León Gómez

Danna Valentina Narváez Contreras

Professor

Luis Orlando Gutierrez Sosa

ECCI University

Faculty of Legal, Social and Human Sciences

Modern Languages

Project N° 1

Bogotá, D. C.

August, 2022
 Objectives

General objective

To deepen in the most important aspects of cultural diversity.

Specific Objectives

To establish the difference among multiculturalism, interculturalism and

cross-cultural.

To recognize the variety of languages that exist around the world.

The insides of cultural diversity

Have you ever thought about the different languages that exist on the planet? Is there

any dominant? Can people create new cultures? What aspects make your country unique?

Have you heard if your nation has more than one language? How foreign people identify you

abroad?

First of all, when talking about culture, it is important to highlight that there are many

of them around the world, but each one can be different thanks to the existence of several

values, norms, beliefs, languages, traditions, thoughts, races, nationalities, religions, among

others which make up part of human life.

In other words, cultural diversity emphasizes the coexistence of many groups in the

same place as a consequence of historical, political, social, and economic processes that have

stimulated different adaptive responses by people.

Taking into account the aspects mentioned before, societies are frequently learning

new characteristics from numerous cultures. In some cases, these actions of borrowing words

and customs from others tend to weaken certain communities. Nevertheless, it depends on

each other to adopt them or continue with their traditions.

In order to understand the term of cultural diversity, it’s necessary to recognize and

identify the different perspectives within the world in which we live, thus contributing to the
dissipation of stereotypes and personal assumptions about individuals through

multiculturalism, interculturalism, cross-cultural and all the features which are linked to it.

Multiculturalism

It is crucial to get the meaning of multiculturalism and its characteristics before going

deeper into the subject. It refers to a community in which numerous cultures and ethnic

groups exist. They live together, in the same geographical, physical and social space in a

respectful manner, without any dominating over the other.

During this process of living jointly, there are not necessarily engaging interactions

among those groups and members. So, it is possible to say that they coexist, since there is no

communication and people just know there live others whose beliefs and customs are

different from them.

Some advantages of multiculturalism are that you will have a higher level of tolerance

towards other cultures, it can provide us with a variety of music, food, and entertainment

(movies, series, etc.) and thanks to it, you will have a broader perspective of the planet.

However, it is not always a positive factor inside societies or communities due to the

lack of interaction that could direct them to segregate others and at the same time, it creates

tension among people who are not similar (talking in terms of culture).

Multiculturalism is characterized by being passive and general since people’s

behavior is limited to only having knowledge of other aspects that exist without having any

kind of interaction with them. Here are some examples of it:

1. A neighborhood in the United States where many people from diverses nationalities

live, they are so close to each other without getting involved. There in the United States are

different neighborhoods with names of other countries in which citizens and tourists could

find some similar characteristics of the real China. Also, there are other zones that are called

as nations such as Japan, Greece, Italy, Cuba among others.

2. Spain is characterized by being a multicultural country due to the quantity of

immigrants who arrive there.

Source: 98° Revista sur

3. Religion is also an example of multiculturalism since more and more groups are

created with the purpose of having several beliefs.

4. Sushi is a clear example of multiculturalism in Colombia because of the fact that it

is not a typical dish in the country, it was originated from Japan.

Source: Prensa Libre Periódico de Guatemala

Interculturalism

Interculturality is very important, since it is the interaction of two or more cultures

that communicate and share the same space in the society despite their differences. Its main

objective is to promote equality in a group. It means that there is not a culture better than the

other, so each one must communicate in a respectful way. Through this ability, they can be in

a constant learning process with other cultures.

On the other hand, interculturalism has many advantages for the communities that get

involved, it creates an environment of tolerance and respect in different groups. It also allows
them to stimulate their personal development, for instance, a person who is expressing their

thoughts and these are accepted instead of being criticized, he or she will improve its

self-esteem, obtaining more sense of belonging.

Additionally, there are two types of interculturality which are Rational and

Functional. The first one arises through contact, promoting learning among people. The

second one is concerned with encouraging equity in minority cultures. As examples are:

1. The process of learning a language.

Source: Infobae

2. Many people from several cities attend Barranquilla Carnival, interacting with

others, being in the same area and the most important part, sharing their culture.

Source: Infobae
Cross-cultural

There is no doubt cultures play an important role in determining how we talk with one

another. When two or more individuals with different nationalities, styles of working, beliefs,

values, and viewpoints relate to each other, will have a cultural exchange via verbal and

non-verbal communication, therefore there will be a cross-culture.

It refers to several rules that vary from one country to another. In fact, when a culture

is considered “the norm” (dominant), all other cultures are compared or contrasted to it.

Cultural differences can be understood or recognized, but they are also managed in ways that

allow for an individual but not collective transformation.

With the increase in tourism, university exchanges, and international business, it is

necessary to have good communication and knowledge among different groups with the aim

of adapting to cultural rules that each country has. Here are some examples:

Source: Marketing91

1. Someone who comes from Mexico and goes to Colombia to live in, he must adjust

to the culture for communicating easily. Then, he learns and uses their everyday speaking.

The Mexican cannot use the word "chato, guajolotero" to refer to the bus in Colombia, he

must use the term "bus".

2. Employees of a company must do business in another country, they will not only

need to learn the language but adapt to the social norms of that place.

Source: Alamy

3. Southern California and Puerto Rico are Spanglish connection points, this happens

because of the mixture of different cultures English and Spanish, creating new words from

the main languages such as parquear - parking, rufo - roof, vacumnear - vacuum.
 Source: Babbel

Languages spoken around the world

A language can be defined in different ways, perhaps according to its structure, or the

relationship individual shares with it (mother, native or natal language), and even depending

on the parentage they have with others in the evolution process (latin as the mother language

of Spanish and the rest of Romance languages). However, it could be said that the main

purpose of a language is to facilitate communication in the sense of transmitting information

from one person to another.

Do pure languages exist?

Source: Istock

Applying the concept of pure into languages is a bit complicated, since its meaning

may vary depending on the point of view; nevertheless, there is one undeniable fact, over

time most of languages have emerged from the influences of others, either through historical

events or just for the new seeking opportunities that have characterized people’s life. Then,
following this, certain who have been considered as pures by many experts (also taking into

account the most spoken) are: French, English, Arabic, Spanish, Hindi, Chinese and Russian.

Currently, more than 7,100 languages are spoken worldwide, some more widely used

than others, involving large populations in different countries. The most spoken languages in

the world are a mixture between the density of people who speak them (because they are

native speakers and come from a very populated country) and people who have them as a

second language.

Undoubtedly, English is the best example of this, due to it has more than 1,300

million speakers, making it the most spoken language on the globe. It is spoken in 146

countries due to the number of non-native speakers.

Source: Ethnologue: Languages of the World

In contrast, Mandarin Chinese is the world's most extensive language when counting

only first language (native) speakers; it is concentrated in 38 countries, which are mainly in

Asia. There are around 920,000 million people, as a result of China's large population.

Source: Ethnologue: Languages of the World

differentiate two key concepts:

Second Language

It refers to a language that is non-native but officially recognized and accepted in a

multilingual country as a means of communication. Said differently, it is the one that people

use as residents of an area where this language is in general used and is in second place to the

native language. For instance:

In Canada, French is considered a second language because the country has two

official languages, English (accounts for about 60.3%) and French (represents 23.9%).

Source: Canada’s History

Foreign Language

It is any language distinct from the one spoken by people of a specific place. In this

case, the individual is who decides to learn it, not because it is necessary in his or her

geographical area but for other interests. For example:

Spanish is considered a foreign language in The Netherlands, given that it’s not part

of the country's official languages and is usually acquired through academic means.
Source: Freepik
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