[originaltext] Culture means the general way of life of a people. This simpl

Culture means the general way of life of a people. This simple definition implies that culture refers to the customs, traditions, social habits, values, beliefs, language, ways of thinking and daily activities of a people. It also includes the history of civilization. In tile broad sense, there are two types of culture, that is, material culture and spiritual culture. Material culture is concrete and observable, while spiritual culture is implicit and abstract.
    Because human language is a direct manifestation of culture, learning a second language involves learning a second culture. For the teacher of a second language, he or she should make sure to develop the students’ awareness and knowledge of the culture of the target language they are learning. This includes understanding the values of the target culture, acquiring a command of the etiquette of the target culture and understanding the differences between the target culture and the students’ own culture. As students progress through a foreign language program, it is expected that they will increase their awareness of the cultural characteristics of the speakers of the language under study. This broadened cultural knowledge may touch on all aspects of culture: the people’s way of life as well as the geographic, historical, economic, artistic, and scientific aspects of the target society. We know that each culture has different etiquette patterns. And therefore, in a foreign language course, students should learn the appropriate etiquette patterns expected of the people living in the country where the target language is spoken. Students should also learn how to interpret unfamiliar cultural conventions and how to act appropriately when communicating with the persons of the foreign culture.