The Key to Success: English Coaching Combined with U.S. Cultural Fluency Training
Today, we will look into the importance of cultural fluency for English language learners. As an English coach, I always emphasize to my clients, especially my more advanced students, how essential it is to be able to decode and fully comprehend cultural symbols and symbolisms. For example, a lot of my clients are diplomats and often find themselves baffled (=confused) by political debates and controversies in the United States. They could benefit immensely from a deeper understanding of the context and history behind different issues and themes in the United States, but simply don’t know where to look or even what to look for to read up on (=read about something to learn more about it) the context of relevant topics. This is where I come in -as your English and American culture coach- I can point you in the right direction and guide you through the often difficult to understand cultural codes in the United States.
The study and interpretation of language includes not only simply what we define as language in the narrowest sense, i.e. vocabulary, word order and so on, but also language in a broader sense including signs and symbols such as cultural codes, jokes, hidden references to historical events in political speeches, cinematic style, and tone, to name just a few.
This branch of communication studies is called Semiotics, which combines the methodologies of sociolinguistic analysis with anthropology techniques. For example, when an English learner interprets a sign or symbol, it is called decoding. In order to enable the student to perform this task, they (= he/she) must possess a certain amount of cultural knowledge to be able to interpret what they are seeing, reading, hearing and so on.
One area of interest in semiotics is the decoding of signs of cultural identity. The office of a Senator in the United States can provide you with a glimpse (= look) into the identity and profile of that person. What can you find on their walls? What pictures do they have on their desk? Is it a picture of John F. Kennedy? The coach of their local sports team? Hunting paraphernalia? What kind of books do they have sitting on their shelf? To interpret the room correctly, you will need a certain amount of cultural knowledge.
This is also true for the office of a business woman that you would like to do business with; or in a broader context the target audience of a product you would like to launch in the United States. How will you know what market to break into (= enter), and how to appeal to your prospective clients? How much do you know about local preferences, different segments of the population? What you might find in these imaginary offices carries symbolisms. Every decoration choice a person makes tells you something about them.
Keep in mind, a cultural sign gets its meaning from the system/context in which it appears, and its significance from its symbolism (= symbolic meaning). Being able to decode cultural codes can help you interact with and relate to your American counterparts accordingly. In other words, cultural fluency will be very helpful to build relationships in Washington, D.C on The Hill (= where the Capitol is located/with Congress) or to boost your success as a business professional in the United States. This is where English coaching combined with cultural training comes in. It can help you become not only linguistically but also culturally fluent.