在初中英语教学中文化背景知识的重要性.docx

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