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World Cultures and Languages

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World Cultures and Languages

Read the short profiles and use the language table to solve the questions. Remember: people within one country or community may speak many languages and practise different traditions.

Read: Many ways to communicate

A language helps people share ideas, stories and knowledge. Some languages are spoken across many countries; others are used mainly in one region or by a particular community. People may speak more than one language at home, at school or at work. Languages also change over time as people move and communities connect. Culture is not a checklist that is the same for everyone in a country. It includes ways people live, create, celebrate and share meaning. A greeting, a song or a family recipe can carry history, but individuals choose how they take part in traditions. Learning about cultures means listening carefully and avoiding assumptions about what every person believes or does.

A language snapshot

The table gives examples of places where these languages are used. It is not a complete list, and each language may be used in many more places.

Language

Examples of places where it is used

One greeting

Arabic

North Africa and the Middle East

As-salamu alaykum

Hindi

India

Namaste

Japanese

Japan

Konnichiwa

Spanish

Spain and many countries in Latin America

Hola

Explore and connect

Use evidence from the reading and table. For short answers, write in complete sentences where possible.

1.Which statement best explains why the language table says “examples of places” rather than listing just one country for every language?

A language can be used in more than one place.
Every country has only one language.
Languages never travel with people.
A greeting is the same in every language.

2.According to the language table above, which greeting is listed in the “One greeting” column for Japanese?

3.Match each language to its greeting from the “One greeting” column in the language table above: Arabic, Hindi, Spanish.

Arabic
Hindi
Spanish

Namaste
As-salamu alaykum
Hola

4.True or false: The reading says that every person in a country follows the same traditions.

TrueFalse

5.Complete the sentence using the reading: People may speak more than one language at home, at school or at .

6.Name two ways, other than a greeting, that people can share culture, according to the reading.

7.Talia hears a classmate speaking Arabic and assumes the classmate must come from one particular country. Explain why that assumption may be inaccurate, using the table.

8.A class is making a welcome display for new students who speak different languages. Suggest one respectful way to include languages and explain why it would help.

9.Why can learning another language help people connect? Give one reason supported by the reading.