Cultural, linguistic and religious diversity

3. CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY CULTURAL DIVERSITY - Culture: It is all the traditions, beliefs and lifestyles that are shared by a group of people.

- Many centuries ago, there was a huge difference between the cultures of different societies. Each society was separate from the others.

- Now, culture has been influenced by the process of globalisation. People all around the world consume the same products and adopt similar lifestyles,attitudes an customs.

- Consequently, many cultures share similar characteristics: 1. The mass media (Internet and television) spread news music and ideas. This creates a mass culture, smiliar in most parts of the world.

2. International companies set up offices in many countries (people buy the same products everywhere).

3. As a result of inmigration, people from many background live together in the same country. They learn about each other’s customs, beliefs and ideas.

4. Tourism allow people from developed countries to find out about other cultures and introduce their own customs and lifestyles to them. *It is very important that e learn to respect cultural diversity. * We should never say that one culture is btter than other.

3. CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY

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There are over 6,000 different languages around the world, although some of them are considered dialects (or variants of other languages).

The international importance of a language depends on the number of people who speak it.

Six interntional languages have been accepted as working languages by the United Nations: Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and French.

- Mandarin Chinese has the greatest number of native speakers.

- Many millions of people around the world now use English as their second language.

- English: - It has become the main language in the international politics, business and science.

- It is the most used on Internet.

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Other languages areused by minorities and are in danger of disappearing

3. CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY -

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RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY Religion has an important role in society and in people’s personal lives.

There have been religious conflicts and wars throughouthistory.

In the late 20 th and early 21 st centuries, fundamentalist movements have become more influential in some religions.

Fundamentalism aims to regulate all areas of life on the basis of religious doctrine.

Fundamentalism reject key aspects of modern Western culture (secularism, freedom of expression and equality between men and women).