Learning a language means learning a new culture from the inside out

As a second language learner I've come to understand that language sits within a culture and to learn a language a learner must come to grips with the cultural worldview that the readers, writers and speakers of the language.  You can't tell a language learner this, a second language learner needs to experience this either by living within the cultural context of the language or by having a teachers who guides and facilitates this. The comprehension of a language text involves both an awareness and appreciation of one’s own culture and accepting that there is a native culture that goes hand in hand with a first language.  The second step is for a language learner to imagine what the native culture of the native speakers of the language text the language learner is engaging with.  Self-awareness of culture one and imagination of culture two and reflection on the relationship between culture one and culture two support a learner to learn the new language from inside the language. 
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This approach to learning the cultural context of a new language is really valuable for effectively learning languages.  It acknowledges that languages are not static and neither are the cultures they sit within.  Engaging in the process of understanding culture is vital to both comprehension and accuracy of message communication in a new language, but it is also important to understand that culture is not ‘monolithic’ but is the pulling together of many different perspectives and a variety of ways of creating meaning.