Key Words - What is Culture?
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Vocabulary
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Meaning
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Example
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accent
(noun) |
the unique speech patterns, tones, inflection, rhythm and rate of a group of people from the same region
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You will hear many different accents of English when you visit Britain.
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anthropology
(noun) |
the study of human beings and their culture
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Anthropology is part of the social sciences.
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attitude
(noun) |
a way of thinking related to mood and behaviour
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He failed the course because of his bad attitude.
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context
(noun) |
the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event or situation
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The meaning of some English words depends on the context in which they are used.
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convention
(noun) |
a rule, method, or practice established by being done regularly
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To learn the the social conventions of another country you really must go and live there for a while.
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cornerstone
(noun) |
the foundation or most important part of an idea
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The cornerstone of a religion is having faith in its key messages.
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dialect
(noun) |
language use that is different from other varieties of the same language in, accent, grammar, and vocabulary
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There are hundreds of different dialects of English being used around the world.
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fundamental
(noun) |
an essential part of / the foundation of something
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Language is a fundamental part of culture.
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humanities
(noun) |
the study of the arts, history and philosophy
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I would love to study The Humanities at university.
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insight
(noun) |
an understanding of something
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Albert Einstein had many insights into how the universe works.
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institution
(noun) |
an organization, establishment, foundation, or society / a fundamental law, practice or custom
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In western cultures, the institution of marriage has changed a lot recently.
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interaction
(noun) |
the action that occurs between people when communicating
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The words we use are just one part of our social interactions.
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jargon
(noun) |
technical language of a particular group or profession that is difficult for outsiders to understand
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I couldn't understand the book because it used to much jargon.
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mankind
(noun) |
humankind / humanity
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The arts are one of mankind's greatest achievements.
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norms
(noun) |
the thoughts and actions that are considered as normal
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People usually act within the social norms of a culture.
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observe
(verb) |
to watch carefully / to see / to study
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Social scientists often observe normal people in normal situations.
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perceive
(verb) |
to become aware of / to recognize or understand
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She perceived the humour in his words, so she wasn't offended.
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phenomenon
(noun) |
a fact, occurrence, or circumstance – often impressive or extraordinary
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Many people believe that ghosts are a phenomenon that really exist.
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slang
(noun) |
informal language
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In English, slang changes so often it's difficult to keep up!
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ritual
(noun) |
specific and repeated actions designed to reinforce a tradition
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In Christianity, Protestants have fewer rituals than Catholics.
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social science
(noun) |
the study of society and social relationships
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Social science is split into many branches, including, anthropology, psychology, education and economics.
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sophisticated
(noun) |
complex / not simple / refined / knowledgeable
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She has a very sophisticated taste in art.
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unique
(adj) |
the only one /different from everything else
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Our world is unique because it is the only planet we know that has life on it.
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