Sociology & You

Chapter 3: Culture

Web Activity Lesson Plans

"Language"

Introduction
In this chapter, students learned about culture and all of the various components that comprise the culture of a given society, such as norms and values, beliefs, and material and nonmaterial elements. They discovered that one of the most important ways in which culture is transmitted from one generation to the next is through language. In this activity students will take a closer look at language: what it is, how it is learned, and how it influences culture and society.

Lesson Description
Students will visit a Web site about language and culture to learn more about what language is, the components of language, and how language influences thought processes and culture. Students will conduct an interview with a non-native English speaker to ascertain this person's perspective on learning English as a second language.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will be able to identify the components of a language.
2. Students will be able to describe the processes by which humans acquire language.
3. Students will be able to judge the influence of language on culture.