--- title: "Learning a Culture Through Language: Discovering the Untranslatable" description: "GeoVisions Alumna, Shanny describes moving beyond the untranslatable of words and learning a culture through the power of language." type: blog version: 2 version_id: "9a6ad6d1-8d83-4da4-9e12-69cb525692f4" generated_at: "2026-06-19T16:30:55.099Z" author: "Shanny Neuman" date_published: "2015-12-16" language: en-us reading_time: "6 min" word_count: 1006 keywords: ["Learning a Culture Through Language"] url: "https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/learning-a-culture" --- # Learning a Culture Through Language: Discovering the Untranslatable > GeoVisions Alumna, Shanny describes moving beyond the untranslatable of words and learning a culture through the power of language. ## Key Takeaways - I was learning a culture, a way of life, an idiosyncrasy, a different modus vivendi. 2 min read # Learning a Culture Through Language: Discovering the Untranslatable [GeoVisions Participant](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/author/geovisions-participant) : Updated on June 19, 2026 [Teach English Abroad](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/topic/teach-english-abroad) [Career Change](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/topic/career-change) ### The famous Italian filmmaker, Federico Fellini, one said that "a different language is a different vision of life".  Over a year ago I woke up with a restless sensation that was burning inside of me. I felt inpatient to learn Italian, a fourth language for me (after Spanish, my mother language, English and Hebrew).  I followed that ambition and after countless studying hours I finally earned my Italian language certification. Most people rarely put more weight on their shoulders and willingly give themselves more things to do and additional responsibilities, and that's because they want to keep their lives easy and simple. At age 23 I decided to take that great challenge to learn a new language, but as I was doing it, I discovered I was learning so much more than words. ## I was learning a culture, a way of life, an idiosyncrasy, a different *modus vivendi*.  [](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/IMG_4728-8.jpg)When I was still studying Italian, I decided to go to Italy to get involved in that culture. Not to be another spectator, but to actually live it and understand it better with the knowledge that I had acquired. A couple of summers ago, I participated in the [Walk and Talk program](https://geovisions.org/program/child-care-jobs-in-italy/) for GeoVisions, and my experience there did not only help improve my language skills, but it actually helped me understand the Italian way of life in a more realistic scenario. Since the language wasn't a barrier for me any longer, I could experience the Italian "*dolce vita*" from another perspective.  #### When we often say we cannot explain something because there are no words for it, it is sometimes true. But how many people can search for that word or meaning in a different language? Or in my case, 4 different languages?  I faced the fact that sometimes we cannot express something because it does not exist in that language, but in others it does. For me, a new language also means contacting your emotions differently and therefore, expressing them differently. Having access to this dialect is the key to other people's minds, and that means their feelings, too. In Italian for example, there’s no way to describe the full expression of the word “*prego*” because there’s not a real accurate translation of it in English. Even though most people know it, or the word “*scarpetta*”, that literally means “*little shoe*”, colloquially speaking it is the action of cleaning the remaining pasta sauce of one's plate with a piece of bread. That, in essence is moving beyond the words and learning a culture. ### As you can see, some words are untranslatable, and if the word is the vessel of an idea, feeling or emotion, we are unable to fully understand the meaning of it until we learn that specific code. The story of the [Tower of Babel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Babel) explains how God created multiple languages to restrict human relations by hindering communication. For me that is the beauty of it; if we overcome those obstacles that are merely words, we can access a whole new panorama and understand it. To understand is to know, and knowledge is a beautiful and very powerful thing.  So language is not just the conquest of words, it's the conquest of a new vision of life waiting to be seen by everyone who dares to take the challenge and overcome it. [](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/IMG_4727-8.jpg) ### ~ Shanny **About Shanny:** In 2015, Shanny lived with a family in Italy and was a part time [au pair](https://geovisions.org/program/au-pair-in-italy/), and part time tutor with the [Walk and Talk program](https://geovisions.org/program/child-care-jobs-in-italy/) through [GeoVisions](https://geovisions.org/). She graduated with a degree in the [tourism industry](https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors/business-hospitality-administration-management-tourism-travel-management) and moved from Mexico to South Carolina 6 months ago. She now works for the Inn and Club at Harbor Town, a luxurious boutique hotel that is rated #1 on the island, #12 in the US according TripAdvisor and #86 in the world according to Travel and Leisure. Shanny shares a workplace with people from all over the world: Morocco, UK, Croatia, Ireland, Portugal, Jamaica, Sweden, and The Netherlands. Follow more of Shanny's adventures on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/shanny_neuman/). - [](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/9216-2) 1 min read #### [Life After Being an Au Pair: Shanny's Story](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/9216-2) [Shanny Neuman](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/author/shanny-neuman) : Dec 16, 2015 12:41:23 AM We spend so much time blogging about our experiences while abroad- the food, the people, and the destinations. But what about when you return home?... [Read More](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/9216-2) [](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/teaching-english-in-thailand-what-youll-actually-earn-spend-save) #### [Teaching English in Thailand: What You'll Actually Earn, Spend, & Save](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/teaching-english-in-thailand-what-youll-actually-earn-spend-save) [Randy LeGrant](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/author/randy-legrant) : Jun 7, 2026 8:16:34 PM How much do English teachers make in Thailand? Quick answer: English teachers in Thailand earn between $900 and $1,400 USD per month, depending on... [Thailand](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/topic/thailand) [Teach English Abroad](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/topic/teach-english-abroad) [Read More](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/teaching-english-in-thailand-what-youll-actually-earn-spend-save) [](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/cuba) #### [Cuba: Connecting With People and Culture](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/cuba) [Edith](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/author/edith) : Dec 19, 2015 3:07:48 AM Cuba and the U.S. have agreed to people-to-people exchange as the basis for American travel in Cuba. That's my favorite kind of travel. [Teach English Abroad](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/topic/teach-english-abroad) [Read More](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/cuba) [](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/work-abroad-walk-and-talk-in-italy-with-shanny) #### [Work Abroad: Walk and Talk in Italy with Shanny](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/work-abroad-walk-and-talk-in-italy-with-shanny) [GeoVisions Participant](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/author/geovisions-participant) : Aug 3, 2019 11:52:03 PM For me, coming to Italy to work abroad was not only to get a job or to be involved in a cultural exchange. It was proof that I can get what I want if... [Teach Abroad](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/topic/teach-abroad) [Read More](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/work-abroad-walk-and-talk-in-italy-with-shanny) [](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/autumn-plan-your-teach-abroad) #### [Why Autumn Is the Best Time to Plan Your Teach Abroad Adventure](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/autumn-plan-your-teach-abroad) [Randy LeGrant](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/author/randy-legrant) : Oct 23, 2025 4:25:48 PM As the air cools and the leaves start to turn, there’s something magical about autumn — a sense of change, of endings and new beginnings. While many... [Read More](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/autumn-plan-your-teach-abroad) [](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/au-pair-visa-requirements) #### [Visa Made Easy: Au Pair Visa Requirements in Europe](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/au-pair-visa-requirements) [Randy LeGrant](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/author/randy-legrant) : Jun 29, 2024 5:36:31 PM In 2025, the Cultural Exchange Project decided to end our involvement with the au pair abroad experience. Liability insurance costs and the... [Read More](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/au-pair-visa-requirements) --- ## About This Content **Source:** [Learning a Culture Through Language: Discovering the Untranslatable](https://culturalexchangeproject.org/blog/learning-a-culture) **Author:** Shanny Neuman **Published:** December 16, 2015 *This content is provided for informational purposes. Please visit the original source for the most up-to-date information.*