093: Is culture important in language learning?

Thiago asks: "I'm learning Japanese. How important is it for me to learn the culture?" In this episode: Why language and culture are inextricably linked Why you can't learn a language to a high level without familiarity with the culture However, if basic communication is your main aim, you don't need to be culturally literate You can get to a basic level of conversation in the language without knowing about the culture Today's Featured Resource: Does Language Influence Culture? - A fascinating article from the Wall Street Journal 100th Episode Special! Help me create an amazing feature for the 100th episode! I'd like to create a montage of voices of podcast listeners from around the world, all giving one piece of language advice they've learned from the show. This would