Defining the terms design, culture and language is a difficult thing to do because these words mean many different things to different people. Here's how I define the terms.
Design: taking an idea that we see in our minds and presenting it visually.
Culture: the ideas and beliefs that surround us everyday.
Language: the words that society uses to convey ideas and beliefs and thoughts.
Design, Culture and Language are all intertwined together. Each one influences the other. Often times certain slang that people use in their communities are a product and are developed within a particular culture. Culture influences design. A structure with modern influences probably wouldn't fit well in a historic neighborhood of Philadelphia, for instance. The culture doesn't reflect this.
Design, Culture, and Language our everywhere in our society, and they all have an effect on and reflect one another.
Here's an example of how culture influences design:
The Sydney Opera House is influenced by the beachside culture of Australia. The design of the Opera House is intended to resemble a shell.
I think this is a perfect example of how culture can influence design. To Australians, this Opera House is a great work of architecture because it resembles elements within their local environment. However, put that same structure in say somewhere like Kansas and it would lose some of its appeal because the culture/environment of the field of the mid-west would not relate to the shell design of the building.
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