在初中英语教学中文化背景知识的重要性.docx
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在初中英语教学中文化背景知识的重要性.docx
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在初中英语教学中文化背景知识的重要性
TheImportanceofCulturalBackgroundKnowledgeinMiddleSchoolEnglishTeaching
Introduction
Inthisessay,Iwroteabouttheculturaldifferences.Culturesdifferfromoneanother.Eachcultureisunique.Learningaforeignlanguagewellmeansmorethanmerelymasteringthepronunciation,grammar,wordsandidioms.Itmeanslearningalsotoseetheworldasnativespeakersofthatlanguageseeit,learningthewaysinwhichtheirlanguagereflectstheideas,customs,andbehavioroftheirsociety,learningtounderstandtheir“languageofthemind”.Learningalanguage,infact,isinseparablefromlearningitsculture.
1.Thebasictheoriesonculturalbackgroundknowledge
1.1Togivetheconceptofculture
"Cultureisthecollectiveprogramming,includingknowledge,belief,art,law,morality,customandanyotherabilityandhabitwhichdistinguishesthemembersofonecategoryofpeoplefromanother."saidEdwardTylor.Asweallknow,differentcountrieshavedifferentcultures.Hofstedehassaid"Cultureismoreoftenasourcethanofsynergy.Culturaldifferencesareanuisanceatbestandoftenadisaster."EvenBritishEnglishandAmericanEnglishhavethesameroot,therearealsosomedifferencesbetweenthetwocountries.Forexample,whenacompanyhavingmeeting,theword"table"inAmericanEnglishthatmeanstoputsomethingontheagenda.ButinBritishEnglishitmeanstoputsomethingofftheagenda.Thisexampleindicatedhowthecultureaffectsthebusiness.
1.2ToshowthebriefintroductionofEnglishculture
Culturesdifferfromoneanother.Eachcultureisunique.ThispaperwillshowusEnglishculture.Atthefirstplace,itwillintroducehowEnglishculturetoshape.Weallknow,itwilltakealongtimetoformakindofculture.
WhenitcomestoEnglishculture,wewillnaturallytalkwithBritishandAmerica.Britishculturehasalonghistory,andithasgonethroughcomplexprocess'sdevelopment.Especially,itaffectsdeeplythedevelopmentofliterature.Englishliteraturehasgonethroughdifferenthistoricalstage:
theRenaissance,Neoclassicism,Romanticism,Realism,Modernismandsoon.Inthe20thcentury,AmericanliteratureseparatesfromBritishliterature,becomingdependentandrobustnationalliterature.
Sofar,thereare380millionpeopleconsideringEnglishasthefirstlanguage,while250millionpeopleregarditasthesecondlanguageintheworld.Besides,thereare100millionpeoplewhoarelearningit.Itisabout1/3peopletouchitinacertainextenteverydayintheglobal.Itissaidthat1/2peopleareabletousethislanguageintheworldin2050.Englishisthelanguageofglobalization,whichisusedextensivelyininternationalbusiness,politicsandforeignaffairs.ItiscommonlanguageincomputerandInternet,too.YoucanfinditintheadvertisementinRomanstreet;youcanlistentoitfromthepopularsongsinTokyo;youcanreaditfromofficialdocumentinCambodiaandsoon.Therefore,wecanknowtheimportanceofEnglishculture,weshouldpaymoreattentiontoit.
2.Problemsarousedbydifferentculturalbackgrounds
OnceanAmericanwasvisitingthehomeofaChinese.Asthevisitorsawthehost'swife,hesaid,"Yourwifeisverybeautiful."Thehostsmiledandsaid:
"Where?
Where?
"-whichcausetheAmerican’ssurprise,buthestillanswered:
"Eyes,hair,nose"-ananswerthatthehostfoundabitpuzzling.Thesurprisingwascausedbydifferentcultures.“Where?
Where?
”meaning“哪里!
哪里!
”inChineseisakindofhumblesaying.ButtheAmericanunderstooditas“Whichpartsofthebodyarebeautiful?
”So,thereasonforbothsides’misunderstandingswasdifferencesincustomsandhabits.Eachwasexpressingandunderstandingwhattheothersaidaccordingtohisorherculture.Foranotherexample,itisinevitablethattheculturaldifferencehasimpactonbusiness.Forinstance,whenacompanyhavingmeeting,theword"table"inAmericanEnglishthatmeanstoputsomethingontheagenda.ButinBritishEnglishitmeanstoputsomethingofftheagenda.Thisexampleindicatedhowthecultureaffectsthebusiness."WhatIthinkthemostsignificantinfluenceinculturaldifferenceisthepowerdistance.(Hoecklin,1995:
28)"Itwouldconditiontheextenttowhichemployeesacceptthattheirbosshasmorepowerthantheyhaveandtheextenttowhichtheyacceptthattheirboss'sopinionsanddecisionsarerightbecauseheorsheistheboss."Iconsidereditashowmuchsubordinatescanconsentordissentwithbossesormanagers.Itisthedistancebetweenamanagerandsubordinate.Amongmostorientalcorporatecultures,thereishierarchism,greatercentralization,sometimescalled'power-orientedculture',duetothehistoricalreasons.Thatisahighpowerdistanceculturethatmangersmakethedecisionandsuperiorsappealtobeentitledmoreprivileges.Theirdecisionalwaysclosesupervisionpositivelyevaluatedbysubordinates.Inthissituation,itisnotberegardedifasubordinateshaveadisagreementwiththeirmanagers,especiallyinMalaysia,Japan,China,India.
Eventslikethesearefairlycommonwhenpeopleofdifferentlanguagesandculturescommunicate.Becauseofculturaldifferences,misunderstandingsmayarise,althoughthelanguageusedincommunicationmaybefaultless.Thesamewordsorexpressionsmaynotmeanthesamethingtodifferentpeoples.Becauseofculturaldifferences,aseriousquestionmaycauseamusementorlaughter;aharmlessstatementmaycausedispleasureoranger.Becauseofculturaldifferences,jokesbyaforeignspeakermaybereceivedwithblankfacesandstonysilence.Yetthesamestoriesinthespeaker’sowncountrywouldleaveaudiencesholdingtheirsideswithlaughter.Therefore,wewilltalkaboutsomeproblemsarousedbydifferentculturalbackgroundsindailylife.Therewillbegivenfiveexamples:
Example1:
Togreetpeople
WhenChinesemeettheirfamiliarpeople,theyoftengreetthemin"Whereareyougoing?
Haveyoueatenyet?
"However,BritishandAmericanpeoplemayconfuseandmisunderstand.Theforeignerdonotthinkitisusefultogreetsomeone.Forexample,whenyouaskaforeigner"Haveyoueatenyet?
".Hemaynotthinkitissimplegreeting,onthecontrary,hethinkyoujustwanttoinviteheinmistake.Inthesameway,"Whereareyougoing?
"maymakehedispleased,sohisreactiontothissentenceis"Itisnoneofyourbusiness".BritishandAmericanpeopleusuallyuse"Goodmorning/afternoon/evening","Howdoyoudo?
","Nicetomeetyou","Howareyoudoing"ingreeting.Iftheirrelationisclose,theywillsay"Hello"or"Hi".
Example2:
Toaddresspeople
ThehabitofaddressingpeopleismuchdifferentfromourcountryinBritishandAmericancountry.InChineseview,someaddressruncountertoreason,itisimpolite,anditisnotbreeding.Suchas,itisappropriateandamiablewhenthechildrencalltheirgrandpa’sandgrandmaname.Similarly,whentheyoungadresstheold,theycanaddMr,MrsandMissfronttotheirfamilyname.Like,MrSmith,MrsSmithandMissGreenandsoon.Wecanuse"teacher,secretary,manager,engineer,factorydirectorandsoonwiththeirfamilynamesasaddressinginChinese.However,wecannotdoitinEnglish.Wecannotsay"teacherZhang"or"engineerWu".WeshouldaccordingtothehabitofBritishandAmericanpeoplethatcollocateMr,MrsandMissasrespectorpoliteness.WhenChineseaddressfamilymembers,relativesorneighbours,theyusuallyusethesewords:
bigbrother,eldersister,sister-in-laworuncleLi.ItcannotbeusedinEnglish.Whethermanorwoman,weoftencallhisnameinEnglish.
Example3:
Tochat
WhenChinesemeet,theyoftenchat"Howoldareyou?
""Howmuchcanyouearn?
Haveyougottenmarried?
"InEnglishculture,thetopicofage,address,placeofwork,income,marriage,familybackground,beliefandsoonbelongtoindividualprivacy.Theydonotlikeothersaskthem.BritishandAmericanpeopleliketalkingaboutweather,conditionandforecast.Like"Itisfineisn'tit?
"or"Itisraininghard,isn'tit?
""Yourdressissonice!
"andsoon.InChinese,therearesomechatshowthecaretoothers:
"Youlooklikeill.""Longtimenosee,youhavegainedweight,""Youaresothin,soyoushouldtakecareforyourbody."IfChinesehearthat,theywillnotbeangry.ButwhenBritishandAmericanpeoplehearyousay"Youarefat"or"Youaresothin",theywillfeelembarrassed.Eventhoughtheyarefamiliar,theythinkitisimpolite.
Ontheotherside,ChinesestudentsareusedtousingChinesesemanticstructuretoapplymechanicallyEnglishinmodeofthinking.Forexample,whencallsomebodyup,Chinesestudentsareusedtosaying"Hello,whoareyouplease?
"However,BritishandAmericanpeoplelikereportingtheirnumbers,unitorcompany'snames,whentheyringsomeoneup.Suchas:
A:
Hello8403229B:
Hello,thisisTom.CouldIspeaktoJim,please?
Example4:
Tocomplimentandcongratulation
WhenBritishandAmericanpeoplecongratulateChinese,wewillbeveryhappy.Butwealwaysbehavemodest,Chinesethinkitisakindofvirtue.Ifnot,theythinkitisdisrespecttoothers.Forexample,aforeigntouristsaidtoMisstourguide:
"YourEnglishisquitefluent,"butshejustanswered:
"No,nomyEnglishisverypoor."Onthecontrary,astoChinesemodestresponse,theforeignerswillmisunderstandyouwhoquerytheirjudgment.Foranotherexample,inoncedancingparty,aAmericanpraisedaChineselady:
"Youlookbeautifultoday,"thenthisChineseladysaidmodestly:
"Where,where."Fortunately,thisAmericanunderstandalittleChinese,sohesaidskillfully:
"Every-where."Accordingtoforeigner'shabit,whentheypraiseothers,theyalwayshopeotherpeoplerespondinthankingoracceptingnicely
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