Language and culture are intertwined because when you learn a language, you have to learn customs and practices, in addition to learning the alphabet, words, and grammar. One thing that I’ve spent some time exploring is paralanguage, which is the nonverbal aspect of communication. Pitch, speed, volume, and facial expressions are all examples of paralanguage. When a person grows up in a certain community, they learn the nuances of the paralanguage around them that can give words new meaning. Most people learn paralanguage by imitating the people around them as children. So for people that are learning a new language, learning paralanguage as well can be more challenging, especially if the language comes from a place with a very different culture. It’s important to consider the place that a language comes from while one embarks on their language learning journey.