跨文化交際論文英文范文
時間:2023-04-11 01:25:50
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篇1
關(guān)鍵詞:跨文化交際;文化適應(yīng);U型模式
中圖分類號:G05 文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)識碼:A 文章編號:1004-1605(2009)11-0042-03
作者簡介:石卉(1987- ),女,江蘇泰興人,上海財經(jīng)大學(xué) (SUFE)外語系英語語言文學(xué)專業(yè)研究生,主要研究方向為文化學(xué)。
隨著全球化的進(jìn)一步加深和科學(xué)技術(shù)的不斷進(jìn)步,不同國籍、不同文化背景的人之間的接觸比以往人類歷史上任何一個時期都更加頻繁、更加廣泛。無論是中國人在海外尋求深造、制造商機,還是外國人來到中國學(xué)習(xí)文化進(jìn)行合作,跨文化交際都成了一個必不可少的部分??缥幕浑H活動實質(zhì)上是一個文化適應(yīng)的過程,因此,本文嘗試對文化適應(yīng)特別是文化適應(yīng)模式的相關(guān)文獻(xiàn)進(jìn)行綜述,并加以實證分析。
一、文化適應(yīng)
文化適應(yīng)是指已完成某文化社會化過程的個體在不斷暴露于另一全新而陌生的文化之中較長一段時間之后,其內(nèi)部所發(fā)生的變化過程。換句話說,文化適應(yīng)就是在一種與我們生長文化不同的文化中逐漸獲得交流能力的過程,或者文化調(diào)整、適應(yīng)的過程。
對于文化適應(yīng)的組成成分不同研究者有不同的意見。Mendenhall和Oddou認(rèn)為文化適應(yīng)有情感、行為和認(rèn)知三個組成成分;Ward及其同事將文化適應(yīng)劃分為兩個層面:心理適應(yīng)和社會文化適應(yīng);我國學(xué)者陳曉毅認(rèn)為文化適應(yīng)可以表述為物質(zhì)文化、制度文化和精神文化這三個維度。
文化適應(yīng)模式則可以更好地讓我們了解文化適應(yīng)的過程。本文將探討五種主要的文化適應(yīng)模式。
1.U型模式
U型模式是理解文化適應(yīng)過程最初、也是最完善的一種方式。它的基本觀點是:當(dāng)一個人在其他文化生存時,他一定會經(jīng)歷一些困難時期才能重新達(dá)到他在原文化中所感受到的舒適感和平常感。在U型模式中,個人一般要經(jīng)歷四個基本階段:蜜月期、危機期、恢復(fù)期和適應(yīng)期。
蜜月期:蜜月階段指的是在旅途開始時感到的興奮和愉悅。當(dāng)一個人即將進(jìn)入一個嶄新的環(huán)境中時最初可能會有些憂慮,但是變化帶來的新鮮感和興奮感將大大超過最初的擔(dān)心。處于這一階段的人急于了解所有的東西,對眼前的任何差別都大為驚嘆。危機期:在最初的興奮逐漸消失之后,將面臨在陌生而困難的環(huán)境里生活的挑戰(zhàn),這時人們就進(jìn)入了危機期。有一些開始讓人覺得有趣有意思的奇怪行為開始慢慢讓人生厭。在這一階段,個人將體驗所謂的“文化沖擊”(cultural shock)?!拔幕瘺_擊”這一名詞是由人類學(xué)家奧伯格(Oberg)最早提出的,他為這種現(xiàn)象作出了詳細(xì)的定義和解釋:“文化沖擊是由我們失去了所有熟悉的社會交流標(biāo)志和符號所帶來的焦慮所引起的。這些標(biāo)志和符號包括了我們?nèi)粘I畹母鞣N方式:怎樣訂購、怎樣購物、什么時候回答、什么時候不回答。這些符號可能是言語、姿勢、表情、風(fēng)俗或準(zhǔn)則,都是我們在成長過程中學(xué)會的,并且就像我們的語言和信仰一樣已經(jīng)成為我們的文化的一部分,我們都依靠這上百種的符號來維持我們內(nèi)心的平靜和效率,盡管大部分的符號我們并沒有意識到?!痹谶@一階段,人們普遍感到疲憊不堪,甚至?xí)ζ渌幕蓡T產(chǎn)生反感,同時,也會感到自己受人排斥?;謴?fù)期:當(dāng)人們能夠逐漸應(yīng)付第二階段的困難,并繼續(xù)堅持努力,在新的文化中生活下去時,他們就進(jìn)入了第三階段――恢復(fù)期。在這一階段,人們對周圍有了新的認(rèn)識,他們會重新發(fā)現(xiàn)周圍環(huán)境和人的積極面。慢慢地,人們開始在感性和理性這兩個方面都認(rèn)識到人與人是不一樣的,并且可以改變自己的預(yù)期去適應(yīng)新的文化。適應(yīng)期:最后,人們進(jìn)入了適應(yīng)期。在這一階段,人們已經(jīng)接受并適應(yīng)了新文化環(huán)境的生活。
2.英雄旅程:奧斯蘭(Osland)海外工作模式
以約瑟夫•坎貝爾(Joseph Campell)關(guān)于神話英雄的故事為基礎(chǔ),在進(jìn)行大量訪問和調(diào)查之后,喬伊斯•奧斯蘭發(fā)現(xiàn)海外工作人員的文化適應(yīng)過程同坎貝爾的神話英雄故事有著許多的相似之處,從而形成了她自己關(guān)于文化適應(yīng)的經(jīng)驗?zāi)J?。在這個模式中,奧斯蘭把文化適應(yīng)的過程分為六個階段:冒險的呼喚、鯨腹中求生、神奇的朋友、考驗的道路、最終的勝利和回歸。
冒險的呼喚:多數(shù)人憧憬出國發(fā)展的機會,卻也有些憂慮,因此,到一個全新的文化環(huán)境經(jīng)歷全新的生活對大多數(shù)人來說就好像是冒險的呼喚。鯨腹中求生:指到一個未知的文化環(huán)境中生存,英雄必然會遇到各種各樣的挑戰(zhàn)和困難。神奇的朋友:無論人們在新的土地上會犯下什么錯誤,或者面臨什么樣的艱難,他們似乎最終都會找到一個神奇的朋友,或者說文化導(dǎo)師。這個朋友可能是來自相同文化有著相同經(jīng)歷的人,也可能是新文化的一員。這些朋友在英雄最初的旅程中扮演先導(dǎo)的角色,負(fù)責(zé)幫助語言、居住、社會交往或者工作上的問題??简灥牡缆?即使有著神奇朋友的幫助,英雄仍需自己親身面對挑戰(zhàn),走過考驗的道路。在這一階段,英雄會面對很多新舊文化的沖突,需要逐漸學(xué)會接受新的事物,培養(yǎng)“世界心態(tài)”。最后的勝利和回歸:旅程的下一階段就是最后的勝利,即自我轉(zhuǎn)型。在經(jīng)歷了種種考驗之后,英雄鍛煉出了自信和內(nèi)在潛能,可以更好地工作和交際。
3.驚奇和理性尋求模式
路易斯(Louis)建構(gòu)理性尋求模式的目的在于更好地理解從一種組織文化進(jìn)入另一種組織文化時所發(fā)生的文化適應(yīng)過程,但這一模式對于任何一種跨文化轉(zhuǎn)換都同樣有效。
在這個模式中,當(dāng)人們進(jìn)入一個新的文化環(huán)境時,他們將深刻地感受到新舊文化之間的變化和差異,并感到驚奇。這種驚奇將帶領(lǐng)人們進(jìn)行理性尋求。一般來說,這種理性的來源通常有三個方面:個人背景、其他有過類似驚奇感的人,以及本地人的解釋。人們在理性尋求各種解釋之后,最終會歸結(jié)出一些原因,或者新文化的特點。在此基礎(chǔ)上,人們將通過更新自我的期望和框架結(jié)構(gòu),或者選擇新的行為方式來適應(yīng)新的文化環(huán)境。
4.金(Kim)的適應(yīng)模式
金的模式和前幾種有著相似之處。他同樣假定人們在文化適應(yīng)的過程中會面臨挑戰(zhàn),這種挑戰(zhàn)可以采取危機、考驗或者驚奇的形式。這些挑戰(zhàn)最終形成壓力,壓力帶來改變的需要,于是,在這種壓力和適應(yīng)的過程中,眾多因素(主要包括陌生人環(huán)境、東道國環(huán)境及交流實踐)一起作用,從而促使人不斷成長。因此,這個模式也可以叫做壓力、適應(yīng)、成長模式。
5.Davis的文化適應(yīng)模式
Linell Davis將文化適應(yīng)過程分為五個階段:興奮期(excitement)、困惑期(confusion)、 挫敗期(frustration)、有效期(effectiveness)和欣賞期(appreciation)。和U型模式類似,在這個模式中,人們進(jìn)入新的文化環(huán)境首先感到的是興奮和喜悅,然后逐漸地開始對遇到的差異和變化感到困惑。在得不到解釋的情況下,困惑感降低了辦事效率和溝通能力,人們慢慢感到了挫敗感。然而,在一段時間(時間長短視個人情況而定)的磨合之后,人們開始客觀認(rèn)識新環(huán)境的不同并可以理性地處理它,從而進(jìn)入有效期。在最后一個階段,人們開始欣賞新文化環(huán)境的特別之處,享受并發(fā)掘在新環(huán)境中生活或工作的樂趣,并期待更長久地生活下去。
二、實證分析
廣田是一個在上海的日本人,她來上海約有一年。由于經(jīng)常走訪各種國家,廣田具有一定的對不同文化適應(yīng)的能力。剛剛來到中國的時候,她對很多事情都充滿著好奇。雖然在日本國內(nèi)經(jīng)常聽到關(guān)于中國的負(fù)面新聞,廣田對這里的生活還是充滿了新鮮感和激情。她將自己的熱情投入到了工作之中,并取得不錯的成績,這個階段就是U型模式中的蜜月期。然而,隨著時間的推移,由于只身一人在上海沒有什么朋友,加上廣田不會中文所造成的語言障礙,她開始經(jīng)歷危機期。她無法理解為什么在中國車輛可以橫沖直撞不顧交通規(guī)則,也對上海的空氣質(zhì)量抱怨不已。同時,由于擔(dān)心食品安全,并且本身討厭油膩食物,廣田無法適應(yīng)這里的飲食習(xí)慣。她漸漸感到疲倦不堪,并覺得自己身體條件在不斷下降,工作效率也開始降低,得到的回饋越來越消極,這些都使得她感到自己更加寂寞。于是,她拒絕再在上海逗留,計劃一階段工作結(jié)束就立刻回日本。當(dāng)被問到是否還會回中國的時候,廣田表示,雖然她自己對未來也不確定,但以她現(xiàn)在的心境,將不會回到上海。雖然很可惜,但是她卻錯過了U型模式中的恢復(fù)期和適應(yīng)期。
與她相反,我有一個高中同學(xué),現(xiàn)在在日本東京讀書。據(jù)他說,在剛到日本的時候,也有過很多焦慮,比如語言不通、人生地不熟,等等。然而,出國和剛剛擺脫高考的興奮感遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過了他的焦慮,每天他都沉浸在新的環(huán)境、新的城市、新的食物帶給的新鮮感中,這就是所謂的蜜月期。慢慢地,在對周圍事物失去原有的興趣之后,他開始對自己的能力產(chǎn)生了懷疑,似乎以前的辦法在新的地方都不再有用了。以前在家有父母養(yǎng)著、管著、慣著,而在這里什么都得靠自己。與此同時,電視上、報紙上經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)的對中國不利的新聞報道也讓他很憤怒。這些都使得他對這個國家,甚至這里的人民充滿了排斥,進(jìn)入了危機期。然而,他并沒有像廣田一樣選擇離開,而是試圖調(diào)整自己的心態(tài),理性對待周圍的現(xiàn)象,對一些與國內(nèi)不一樣的文化開始見怪不怪,并主動結(jié)交一些當(dāng)?shù)氐呐笥?迅速開始了自己的學(xué)業(yè)和打工,進(jìn)入恢復(fù)期。現(xiàn)如今,他已經(jīng)去日本四年,并逐漸適應(yīng)了那里的生活,雖然偶爾有小小的抱怨,比如東京人的壓力很大、節(jié)奏很快,但他顯然能應(yīng)付自如了,開始了適應(yīng)期。
隨著時展的需要,跨文化適應(yīng)研究越來越受到重視。來中國的外國人和赴海外的中國人不斷增加,文化適應(yīng)成了在海外學(xué)習(xí)或工作都必須了解的一個關(guān)鍵詞。只有正確了解文化適應(yīng)的含義和過程,才能清楚認(rèn)識到自己可能要經(jīng)歷的挫折和困難,從而提前做好準(zhǔn)備。比如,在出國前,提前了解所去國家的文化習(xí)俗、基本禮儀、生活習(xí)慣和社會特點,同時,明白一時的不適應(yīng)或沮喪都是正常的,這些都必將幫助縮短文化適應(yīng)中的危機期,從而提高學(xué)習(xí)工作效率,使得海外行更加順利和有價值。
參考文獻(xiàn):
[1]馬克思.1844年經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)哲學(xué)手稿[M].北京:人民出版社,2000.
[2]孫周興.海德格爾選集:上[M].上海:上海三聯(lián)書店,1996.
[3]馬克思,恩格斯.馬克思恩格斯選集:第1卷[M].北京:人民出版社,1972.
篇2
[關(guān)鍵詞]跨文化交際 英語教學(xué) 跨文化交際能力
談起英語教學(xué),人們認(rèn)為英語教學(xué)只和讀寫譯等幾項基本技能的訓(xùn)練和培養(yǎng)有關(guān)。無可置疑,這樣的認(rèn)識是不全面的。因此我認(rèn)為在英語教學(xué)中應(yīng)該適當(dāng)?shù)娜谌肟缥幕浑H?!翱缥幕浑H”指本族語者與非本族語者之間的交際,也指在任何語言和文化背景方面有差異的人們之間的交際。
由于不同的民族所處的社會、宗教等背景的不同,因而各自的環(huán)境產(chǎn)生了不同的語言習(xí)慣。在跨文化交際中,如交際的雙方不能融入同一個文化背景中,交際雙方就容易產(chǎn)生誤解。
一、為什么在英語教學(xué)中要注重跨文化交際
語言和文化是相輔相成,密不可分的。一方面,語言是文化的一部分,是文化的載體;另一方面,文化又制約語言,所以語言教學(xué)特別是英語教學(xué)與文化學(xué)習(xí)是密不可分的。不同的語言文化背景會導(dǎo)致語言各個方面,例如:語法、詞匯、習(xí)語等差異。把跨文化交際意識融入到英語教學(xué)中意義非淺。
(1)把文化意識融入英語教學(xué)中有助于學(xué)生在英語學(xué)習(xí)中對英語的運用與理解。按照H•Ned Seelye的觀點,他認(rèn)為文化分為兩個層次,一個層次是C文化,即文學(xué)、藝術(shù)、、哲學(xué)及科技,另一個層次指的是“人們的生活”,即風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣、傳統(tǒng)和社會組織。 文化不是一門獨立的課程,它是語言教學(xué)的組成部分。語言與文化相依存。因此,把文化意識地融入到英語教學(xué)中,有助于學(xué)生的英語學(xué)習(xí)。
(2)在交際中,杜絕語言使用上的錯誤。語言使用錯誤有兩種:一是語法錯誤,一是文化錯誤。在英語學(xué)習(xí)中,教師不僅要教學(xué)生正確地語法,更要向?qū)W生講解語言的文化背景。這樣,當(dāng)學(xué)生和外國人交流時,才不會因不懂得語言的文化背景用錯了詞而鬧出笑話。沃爾夫森陽說“在與外族人交談時,本族人對于他們在語音和語法方面的錯誤往往比較寬容:與此相反,違反了說話規(guī)則,則被認(rèn)為是不禮貌的,因為本族人不大可能認(rèn)識到社會語言的相對性?!?所以在英語學(xué)習(xí)中,教師應(yīng)該幫助學(xué)生了解語言的文化背景。
二、如何把跨文化交際應(yīng)用到英語教學(xué)中
在英語教學(xué)中應(yīng)該時時刻刻都要注意文化的滲入與融入,了解語言與語言之間的文化的異同,只有這樣才能把英語學(xué)好。英語學(xué)習(xí)注重詞匯,習(xí)語,語法等方面的學(xué)習(xí),所以就要從以下的幾個方面把文化融入到英語教學(xué)中。
1.從詞匯方面。英語詞匯在長期的使用中,形成了豐富的內(nèi)涵。學(xué)生們在學(xué)習(xí)和使用英語單詞時,經(jīng)常由于不懂得某個單詞的文化意思而使用錯誤,造成笑話。所以在英語教學(xué)中要注意把英語詞匯的文化意義介紹給學(xué)生。教師可以在教學(xué)過程中有意識地總結(jié)有文化背景的單詞然后講解給學(xué)生。例如:總結(jié)關(guān)于動物的詞匯。在中國,dragon“龍”被認(rèn)為是神圣的,是帝王的象征,但在西方,人們則認(rèn)為龍是邪惡的象征。在中國,dog“狗”多被用在一些貶義詞中,例如:“狗腿子”“走狗”等。但在西方,人們把狗看成是朋友,所以狗經(jīng)常被用在褒義詞組中,例如:“l(fā)ove me love my dog”“l(fā)ucky dog”等等。
2.從習(xí)語、俚語方面。習(xí)語和俚語是人們在經(jīng)過長期的社會活動和生活經(jīng)歷,在一定的文化背景下被總結(jié)掌握的詞語。習(xí)語和俚語充分地體現(xiàn)了語言的文化環(huán)境,在英語學(xué)習(xí)中占有重要的地位。教師在講解英語習(xí)語和俚語時,要格外地注意他們的文化內(nèi)涵,要把跨文化交際融入到對習(xí)語和俚語的講解中。如:當(dāng)教師講解“From that day on, we were always together, Lucy and me was like peas and carrots.”這句話時,如果只從字面意思理解,意思為“從那天開始,我們就在一起,露西和我就像豌豆和胡蘿卜?!边@么翻譯是錯誤的,如果學(xué)生知道西方飲食文化就不會只知道這句話的字面意思了。在西方烹飪中,胡蘿卜經(jīng)常被切成丁和豌豆搭配在一起,有圓有方,有紅用綠。顏色鮮美,這樣就可以作為配菜來裝點主菜,使主菜顯得更加鮮美。這兩種蔬菜,有營養(yǎng)但味道一般所以不會搶了主菜的“風(fēng)頭”所以這里的豌豆和胡蘿卜被引申為“形影不離”。如果不把跨文化交際應(yīng)用到英語教學(xué)中,學(xué)生如何才能學(xué)到地道的英語呢?所以在英語教學(xué)中,跨文化交際能力就顯得尤為重要。
3.從語法方面。教師應(yīng)把跨文化交際應(yīng)用到語法教授中,只有教師生動形象地講解英語語法的文化背景,學(xué)生對語法的使用才能揮灑自如。例如:“It is important to talk with my teacher how to review the book.”這個句子的結(jié)構(gòu)是it作形式主語,不定式作真正主語并后置。為什么由it來充當(dāng)主語呢?如果學(xué)生們了解說英語國家人們使用語言的特點,就不會問這樣的問題。在英語中,人們習(xí)慣把冗長的內(nèi)容放在句子的后面,用間接的詞語代替冗長的內(nèi)容,就能使語言生動形象,朗朗上口。由此可見,在英語的語法教授過程中,教師應(yīng)把說英語國家人們使用語言的特點,及文化背景介紹給學(xué)生們是非常有必要的。
跨文化交際與英語教學(xué)息息相關(guān),在英語教學(xué)中有著重要的實際意義。總之,在英語教學(xué)中要注重培養(yǎng)學(xué)生們的跨文化交際能力,只有這樣,學(xué)生才能真正地把英語學(xué)好,才能真正地做到學(xué)有所用。
參考文獻(xiàn):
[1]楊平澤.非英語國家的英語教學(xué)中的文化問題[J].國外外語教學(xué),1995,(1).
[2]何自然,閻莊.中國學(xué)生在英語交際中的語用失誤―――漢英語用差調(diào)查[M].北京:外語教學(xué)與研究出版社,1986.
篇3
[關(guān)鍵詞]大學(xué)英語教學(xué);跨文化交際;策略
在國際間交流與合作不斷密切的背景之下,不同文化相互的交流與碰撞也更加頻繁。語言作為文化交流與溝通的重要載體,必須在國際化、全球化的趨勢下,對教學(xué)手段與方法做出適當(dāng)?shù)母倪M(jìn)及調(diào)整。在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)過程當(dāng)中,必須結(jié)合學(xué)生專業(yè)的特點,創(chuàng)設(shè)各種有利的條件,讓學(xué)生在英語學(xué)習(xí)的過程當(dāng)中盡量多的接觸不同的文化,培養(yǎng)學(xué)生對中西方文化差異的敏感性,使跨文化交際能夠順利有效的展開。
1、跨文化交際論的內(nèi)涵
大學(xué)英語教學(xué)區(qū)別于其他階段英語教學(xué)最顯著的一項特點就是英語教學(xué)從詞匯、語法等角度上來說都具有非常突出的專業(yè)性特征,與學(xué)生的專業(yè)方向相契合。培養(yǎng)學(xué)生交際能力的教學(xué)方法必須以學(xué)生作為教學(xué)(也就是課堂)的主體,教師則作為課堂的組織者,重點調(diào)動學(xué)生在語言學(xué)習(xí)中的積極性與潛能,通過對交際活動以及交際情景進(jìn)行設(shè)計的方式,將學(xué)生融入實際的交際活動當(dāng)中,培養(yǎng)學(xué)生應(yīng)用英語語言進(jìn)行社會交際溝通的能力,從而達(dá)到大學(xué)階段英語教學(xué)的最終目標(biāo)。
有關(guān)交際能力內(nèi)涵的闡釋雖然有非常多的類型,但歸納起來仍然有一些共同之處。具體來說,語言的交際能力主要側(cè)重以下幾個方面的內(nèi)容:首先是語言形式是否符合語法要求;其次是語言形式是否能夠被交際雙方所接受;再次是語言形式的使用是否得體妥當(dāng);最后是語言形式在交際運用中是否存在現(xiàn)實性問題。從現(xiàn)代語言功能學(xué)的角度上來說,認(rèn)為語言作為一種特殊的社會現(xiàn)象,交際、交流是其最主要的功能之一,語言的構(gòu)成包括了詞匯系統(tǒng)、語義系統(tǒng)、語法系統(tǒng)、以及音位系統(tǒng)這幾個方面。從這一角度上來說,在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)過程當(dāng)中,引入跨文化交際論對學(xué)生語言交際能力進(jìn)行培養(yǎng)的重點就在于:以扎實的語法基礎(chǔ)為前提,全面提高學(xué)生語言聽、說、讀、寫的綜合能力,并且在特殊語言環(huán)境下,能夠根據(jù)交際雙方的社會地位、身份角色的得體的進(jìn)行跨文化交流。
2、大學(xué)英語教學(xué)與跨文化交際論的關(guān)系
在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)中,學(xué)生需要將所掌握的豐富的語言材料知識正確應(yīng)用于語言交際環(huán)節(jié)當(dāng)中。傳統(tǒng)意義上的語言教學(xué)側(cè)重于語言形式,無法提高學(xué)生在真正交際環(huán)境下的語言運用能力。而在語言運用的過程當(dāng)中,學(xué)生常常會忽略交際雙方所處的社會文化以及語言交際環(huán)境的特殊性,在跨文化交際中出現(xiàn)語言應(yīng)用不得體的問題。而以交際為目的的跨文化交際論則很好的解決了這一問題,其通過培養(yǎng)學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的方式,以滿足不同文化背景人們的交流。在語言交際的學(xué)習(xí)與訓(xùn)練過程當(dāng)中,必然會涉及到兩種不同的文化形式。大學(xué)英語教學(xué)中除了需要向?qū)W生傳授英語用語國家在民族文化方面的特點,掌握其在價值觀、生產(chǎn)方式、生活、風(fēng)俗、宗教、以及禮儀等多個方面的知識,同時還需要將本民族的文化內(nèi)涵通過交際的方式傳輸出去。受到這一因素的影響,使得英語教學(xué)自然而然地涉及到的跨文化的影響與制約。大學(xué)英語教學(xué)中,學(xué)生除了需要吸收西方文化中優(yōu)越的素質(zhì)因素(如創(chuàng)造性思維,明確的目標(biāo),突出的個性,以及勇于創(chuàng)新的精神等),還應(yīng)當(dāng)盡全力擺脫只重視語言結(jié)構(gòu)形式,學(xué)習(xí)目標(biāo)空洞,語言交際能力差的問題,從而促進(jìn)自身跨文化交際能力的不斷提升。
3、大學(xué)英語中跨文化交際論的教學(xué)策略
1)課堂融入:在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)過程當(dāng)中,教師可以通過課堂融入的方式引導(dǎo)學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)相關(guān)文化知識。教師可以利用課前五至十分鐘的時間進(jìn)行練習(xí),練習(xí)的主要內(nèi)容是與英美國家相關(guān)的文化知識,特別是注意對文化差異知識的傳授,然后引導(dǎo)學(xué)生們通過討論的方式來比較中西方在文化上的差異性。
2)專門講解:教師可以在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)過程當(dāng)中結(jié)合教材教學(xué)內(nèi)容,對涉及到文化知識的部分進(jìn)行專門注釋,在語言知識的教授過程當(dāng)中同步進(jìn)行文化知識的分析與引導(dǎo),通過這種方式,能夠使跨文化交際更加的靈活與有效。例如,在涉及到與英美國家歷史知識相關(guān)的內(nèi)容時,教師除了需要向?qū)W生介紹相關(guān)的語法語句外,還可以利用一定的時間介紹與之相關(guān)的歷史事件以及歷史背景,使學(xué)生能夠加深認(rèn)識。以新聞專業(yè)的學(xué)生英語教學(xué)為例,不同國家由于國情不同,因此在進(jìn)行新聞報道時常常會出現(xiàn)冉的專業(yè)詞匯。政治報道方面,西方國家常見單詞有“Parliament(議會)”,“Congress(國會)”、“senator(議員)”等。而在對中國國內(nèi)事務(wù)的報道中,常見的詞匯與短語則有:“invigorate China through science end education(科教興國)”,“place equal emphasis on materiel and spiritual civilizations(兩個文明一起抓)”等等。學(xué)生在學(xué)習(xí)中必須了解這些專用詞匯所代表的含義,更需要通過教師專門的講解,了解其所對應(yīng)的機構(gòu)構(gòu)成以及作用,以便在腦海中形成聯(lián)系,加強對上下文的理解。
3)系統(tǒng)介紹:在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)過程當(dāng)中,往往會根據(jù)專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的不同,開設(shè)一些與西方國家文化相關(guān)的課程。這些課程的學(xué)習(xí)能夠使語言學(xué)習(xí)的中心自傳統(tǒng)意義上的語言結(jié)構(gòu)方向向語言功能方向轉(zhuǎn)變,避免學(xué)生對語言形式的掌握過于孤立,而能夠在社會環(huán)境中掌握語言形式的具體使用方法。
4)對比講解:在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)中,為了能夠培養(yǎng)學(xué)生跨文化交際的思想,還可以對中西方兩種文化的差異進(jìn)行對比,通過對比比較的方式引入文化特點。通過這種方式,能夠使學(xué)生同時了解本民族與其他國家在風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣或其他方面的差異。例如,在《冰河世紀(jì)》中,有原文為“Burn,Double burn”,如果采取直譯的方式,則譯為“燃燒,加倍燃燒”。但結(jié)合英語用語習(xí)慣,該俚語可以解釋為“糗,太糗了”,所表達(dá)的是對某人的不尊重。這種翻譯上的差異是學(xué)生必須通過跨文化交際學(xué)習(xí)而掌握的。再以新聞專業(yè)英語教學(xué)為例,英文中在表達(dá)數(shù)字概念時可以采取的表達(dá)方式非常多,而中文則以直接的方式進(jìn)行表述。即中文中所表達(dá)的數(shù)字概念“75%”在英文中可以表達(dá)為“three quarters”,也可以表達(dá)為)“seventy-five percent”。除此以外,英文在日常生活中所出現(xiàn)的某些特殊句型也是影響英文語音轉(zhuǎn)換為漢語語義的重要因素之一。即使是在所用詞語在兩種文化中有對應(yīng)物時,也會由于思維局限性使意義的傳達(dá)產(chǎn)生偏差。例如:It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back。在該句中,“straw”一詞與漢語中的“稻草”一詞相對應(yīng),而在英文中所指的則是”會使人超出承受能力的最后的事情或事物“。兩者之間的聯(lián)系“稻草”能聯(lián)想至“最后的希望”,如“救命稻草”。
4、結(jié)束語
在新時期,大學(xué)英語教學(xué)大綱中進(jìn)一步突出了交際作為語言本質(zhì)功能,在語言教學(xué)中的重要意義,認(rèn)為學(xué)生需要通過對所學(xué)語言知識的綜合應(yīng)用來表達(dá)自身思想,同時進(jìn)行情感上的交流。為了能夠增加學(xué)生對不同文化差異的敏感性,就需要積極改進(jìn)大學(xué)英語的教學(xué)方法,采取多種教學(xué)策略來調(diào)動學(xué)生的學(xué)習(xí)積極性,引導(dǎo)學(xué)生有步驟,有重點,有計劃的對本國以及英語國家文化知識的綜合學(xué)習(xí),促進(jìn)自身知識面的擴展,使跨文化交際能夠更好的在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)中實施并開展。
參考文獻(xiàn)
[1]鄧炎昌,劉潤清.《語言與文化----英漢語言文化對比》.外語教學(xué)與研究出版社,1989.
[2]黎土旺.跨文化交際與英語教學(xué)[J].西南民族大學(xué)學(xué)報(人文社科版),2003,24(12):276-277.
[3]高曉平.跨文化交際與英語教學(xué)關(guān)系研究[J].時代文學(xué),2012,(15):190-191.
篇4
隨著經(jīng)濟(jì)全球化發(fā)展的進(jìn)步,跨文化交際日漸突出,而語言障礙、文化差異以及思維模式等方面引起的交際問題都是空缺理論的表現(xiàn)。人們只有真正了解空缺理論,從中找到解決的辦法,才能在跨文化交際中進(jìn)行更好的交流。對于什么是空缺理論,并不是所有人都理解,而如何運用空缺理論,現(xiàn)如今仍然還有很多研究者進(jìn)行著激烈的討論。本文就空缺理論的意義、空缺理論的劃分以及在跨文化交際中應(yīng)用三方面進(jìn)行討論。
一、空缺理論的意義
空缺現(xiàn)象的產(chǎn)生首先是由美國學(xué)者在20世紀(jì)中期,通過對比兩國家的語言習(xí)慣而偶然提出的,后來在20世紀(jì)后期引起多個國家研究討論,最后被俄羅斯研究團(tuán)隊“空缺理論流派”提出“空缺理論”的研究成果。最近幾年,他國學(xué)者將空缺理論應(yīng)用于跨文化交際越來越頻繁。在國內(nèi),這些年關(guān)于語言空缺、文化空缺以及思維模式空缺方面的研究也逐漸獲得很大的進(jìn)展。如果空缺理論真正運用到跨文化交際中,就能幫到交際者認(rèn)知到“一種語言中有,但在另一種語言中沒有;一種文化有,另一種沒有;這種思維這個國家有,另一個國家沒有?!钡目杖爆F(xiàn)象,從而有效地降低跨文化交際中因為空缺問題而產(chǎn)生的誤解,使跨文化交際能夠完美的進(jìn)行。
二、空缺理論的劃分
(一)語言空缺
所謂語言上的空缺指的是人們在交流中應(yīng)用的語言,我國有的他國不一定有,比如說“寒舍”在別國只能用“我家”來表示,又或者我國語言中的大家所熟識的短語“吃軟飯、冤大頭、磨洋工”在其他國家并沒有完全準(zhǔn)確的表達(dá)方式,另外中國人在被人夸獎的時候總會說“哪里!哪里!”以表示謝謝的客套話,但在西方人眼中,他們就會覺得“我禮貌地贊美一下,你們還要問我哪好?”或者西方人認(rèn)為狗是忠誠動物,他們通常會把人說成狗“l(fā)ucky dog(幸運兒)、old dog(老人)、water dog(水性好)”,但我國就會覺得“你怎么還罵人呢?”。以上這些短語,人們通過他國或者我國語言直譯過來就有不同的效果,如果讓不了解各個國家國情和俗語的交際者碰到,肯定會在跨文化交際上有著很大的障礙,甚至鬧出笑話,嚴(yán)重地可能會導(dǎo)致交際直接破裂。
(二)文化空缺
文化空缺是指一個國家所負(fù)載的文化信息在另一個國家中沒有對應(yīng)部分,不同的歷史文化、社會人文、風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣等也是文化空缺的一種。有的文化我們有的,別人不一定有,比如我國人民結(jié)婚的時候,是否看到新娘婚紗都無所謂,但是在西方則是兇兆;我們傳承下來的禮儀是雙手遞交自己的名片,但是西方人完全不理解你的行為,因為在他們看來,遞名片應(yīng)該單手;我國人民對時間觀念一般都是個大概區(qū)間,但是西方國家時間觀念非常強烈,幾點就是幾點,從來都不會有遲到的現(xiàn)象;另外還有飲食習(xí)慣的文化差別、、年齡隱私等方面的文化空缺都影響著跨文化交際的結(jié)果。因此,文化空缺是跨文化交際中最主要的空缺,是跨文化交際產(chǎn)生沖突的導(dǎo)火索,彌補文化空缺迫在眉睫。
(三)思維模式空缺
人們都知道,思維是大腦的產(chǎn)物,同時又主導(dǎo)著每個人的行為,。每個人的思維都是不同的,更何況各國家之間,不同的思維方式傳遞出不同國家、種族的性格特點,東西方國家的思維模式具有很大的差異。東方人比較偏向于老祖宗流傳下來的一些思維模式,比如道家、儒家以及佛家的辯證思維模式,東方國家認(rèn)為世界是變化的,對與錯沒有明確的界限,而且一切的果都來源其因,世界萬物都是相對的,就像矛與盾人們無法判斷到底誰最厲害一樣,而且任何的事物都有其存在的合理性。這是經(jīng)過數(shù)千年歷史的沉淀,逐漸轉(zhuǎn)換為自己的性格特征。而西方人則偏向于認(rèn)知型思維或者邏輯思維,他們更認(rèn)為事物一切都是他們本身,認(rèn)為同一件事情錯就是錯,對就是對,沒有中間的可能性,所以西方人的思維模式總是直來直去,從不拐彎抹角,而且西方人在考慮問題的時候,喜歡將事物分離整體,對事物的各方面逐一分析,從而找出對自己的利與弊。正因為思維模式空缺的存在,影響著跨文化交際的成效,東方人認(rèn)為他們太直白,而西方人則覺得東方人太狡猾,導(dǎo)致跨文化交際無法順利進(jìn)行。因此,思維模式空缺現(xiàn)在是跨文化交際的主體。
三、空缺理論在跨文化交際中的應(yīng)用
空缺泛指事物中空著或缺少的部分,簡而言之,就是指在跨文化交際中人們所空缺的語言差異、文化差異以及思維模式的差異等部分。以下是將空缺理論完美地應(yīng)用在跨文化交際中的方式。
(一)對語言空缺的應(yīng)用
人們可以根據(jù)空缺理論找到語言空缺現(xiàn)象,通過上語言輔導(dǎo)課,定期到圖書館,或者通過各國視頻以及相關(guān)資料等了解語言的應(yīng)用。應(yīng)針對日常交際用語以及所從事工作所需語言入手,增強各行業(yè)之間相關(guān)語言的交流,通過網(wǎng)絡(luò)搜索相關(guān)語言應(yīng)用方式的資料,或者通過不同身份角色扮演,以此來了解各國語言的差異,并整理語言的學(xué)習(xí)筆記。還有一種是對比語言學(xué)習(xí)法,通過對比中西方之間詞匯的涵義、諺語習(xí)俗的不同,以及在交際過程中出現(xiàn)的一些短語,制定出中西方的不同,以提高對各國語言的熟識度,提升自我職業(yè)的發(fā)展空間。
(二)針對文化空缺的應(yīng)用
每個地方都有圖書館,人們可接觸各國文化,整理文化資料,通過各國文化交流,了解各國文化,以此加強文化交流知識,從而解決在跨文化交際中可能出現(xiàn)的文化知識、文化常識等問題。通過學(xué)術(shù)交流會來強化跨文化意識,通過文化知識的學(xué)習(xí)記錄,從而實現(xiàn)中西方文化在跨文化交際過程中的應(yīng)用。加強跨文化知識的學(xué)習(xí),利用文化空缺解決跨文化交際的問題。
(三)針對思維模式的應(yīng)用
學(xué)者通過研究發(fā)現(xiàn),人的思維建立都是通過動手、實踐以及操作的方式形成的。因此,人們可以在跨文化交際之前,也就是雙方都不了解雙方文化的前提下,進(jìn)行文化思維的培訓(xùn),通過模仿交際場景進(jìn)行思維模式的實踐。比如,如果在餐廳交際的場景中,人們應(yīng)當(dāng)降低交際音量,給對方良好的體驗;兩個交際者在商談企業(yè)經(jīng)濟(jì)的合作關(guān)系,我國交際者應(yīng)事先了解對方思維模式,在跨文化交際過程中做到將自己當(dāng)作對方,從對方的思維模式上出發(fā),以達(dá)到更好的經(jīng)濟(jì)合作效果。只要人們在跨文化交際過程中,更好地運用語言空缺、文化空缺以及思維模式空缺等理論知識,在完全了解對方的情況下,完全可以做到真正地去溝通障礙的跨文化交際。所以,一旦空缺理論在跨文化交際中應(yīng)用起來,不僅可以避免跨文化交際中出現(xiàn)不必要的紕漏,還可以達(dá)成更好的交際效果與體驗。
四、結(jié)語
篇5
1 跨文化交際的含義
跨文化交際,即intercultural communication,指的是來自于不同文化背景下的交際者運用語言或非語言的方式進(jìn)行有效、得體的互動交流的過程,涉及到語言學(xué)、傳播學(xué)、文化學(xué)、傳播學(xué)等諸多學(xué)科的內(nèi)容。不同的國家或地區(qū)有著多樣化的文化或歷史傳承,有著不同的風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣和語言文化,這些都會對跨文化交際造成不同的影響。
語言學(xué)習(xí)的目的就是為了更好的交流和溝通,因此我們在大學(xué)英語的教學(xué)實踐中,除了英語的基本技能,如聽力、口語、閱讀、寫作之外,必須重視將英語國家文化背景知識融入課堂,培養(yǎng)學(xué)生對英語國家社會文化的積極理解與欣賞,比較我們的文化和英語國家文化的差異所在,加強學(xué)生跨文化交際的技能,減少學(xué)生在跨文化交際時遇到的文化障礙和受到的文化沖擊,從而進(jìn)行有效得體的互動交流。
2 培養(yǎng)跨文化交際意識的意義
2.1 有效消除交流障礙,防止交際摩擦
如上文所述,不同國家地區(qū),其文化、歷史、習(xí)俗都有很大不同,甚至在世界觀、人生觀、價值觀取向上也存在差異。我們運用語言進(jìn)行跨文化交際時,如果不了解對方的文化背景,不了解對方的風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣,不了解對方的俗語諺語等,有可能會無法正確解讀對方語言所包含的信息,也無法向?qū)Ψ綔?zhǔn)確表達(dá)自己想要表達(dá)的內(nèi)容造成誤解,形成交流障礙,嚴(yán)重者甚至?xí)墳榻浑H摩擦,以致出現(xiàn)沖突。培養(yǎng)學(xué)生跨文化交際意識,能有效的防止這種情況的發(fā)生。
2.2 開拓學(xué)生視野,增加語言知識儲備
培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的跨文化交際意識,要求學(xué)生自發(fā)自覺的去了解英語國家社會制度、歷史文化背景、語言運用習(xí)慣等方面的內(nèi)容,了解我們的文化和英語國家文化的區(qū)別所在,接受人生觀、世界觀、價值觀的種種差異,學(xué)著用native speaker的思維方式去進(jìn)行思維,學(xué)習(xí)對方文化的精華,摒棄其糟粕,有助于學(xué)生知識面的拓寬和英語相關(guān)知識的儲備。
3 存在的問題及對策分析
3.1 存在的問題
我國的大學(xué)英語教學(xué)模式,一直沒有擺脫教師處于權(quán)威主體地位,學(xué)生被動接收的情況,大部分學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)英語,主要目的仍是為了應(yīng)付大學(xué)英語四、六級考試或是研究生入學(xué)英語測試。這就導(dǎo)致我們的學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)英語,其重點重心放在詞匯和語法的學(xué)習(xí)上,自動忽略了對文化背景知識的了解與吸收。我們的大學(xué)英語教學(xué)工作者,也沒有對大學(xué)英語教學(xué)中文化知識的傳授有足夠的重視。這種情況的出現(xiàn),有其客觀原因。首先,大多數(shù)學(xué)校因客觀條件限制,大學(xué)英語的教學(xué)通常采用大班授課的方式,大的授課班級人數(shù)甚至達(dá)到八九十人,這使得任課教師與學(xué)生在課堂上一對一,或是學(xué)生們之間用英語進(jìn)行會話訓(xùn)練的機會大大減少。其次,大學(xué)英語課程設(shè)置不甚合理,課時少,教學(xué)任務(wù)重。在有限的課時內(nèi),教師要完成繁重的教學(xué)任務(wù),不得不有所取舍。再次,我們的大學(xué)英語教學(xué),缺乏良好的語言環(huán)境。受幾十年來英語教學(xué)傳統(tǒng)的影響,學(xué)生們只注重英語基本能力的培養(yǎng),學(xué)習(xí)活動發(fā)生的主要區(qū)域局限于教室,學(xué)習(xí)活動的對象局限于大學(xué)英語課本,離開了英語課堂,立刻回歸母語世界,所以學(xué)生們的思維方式無法轉(zhuǎn)變,仍然是漢語式的思維。
3.2 如何在教學(xué)中培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的跨文化交際意識
首先,教師應(yīng)當(dāng)轉(zhuǎn)變傳統(tǒng)的英語教學(xué)理念,認(rèn)識到跨文化交際意識對我們的重要意義,通過接受系統(tǒng)、專業(yè)的訓(xùn)練,通過自身的不斷努力與積累,擴充自身的英語知識層面,以適應(yīng)跨文化交際教學(xué)對于教學(xué)者的要求。在課堂教學(xué)中,教師不能僅僅局限于英語基礎(chǔ)知識如詞匯、語法等的教學(xué),還應(yīng)結(jié)合教材,恰當(dāng)、適時引入相關(guān)背景知識,引導(dǎo)學(xué)生克服母語帶來的思維障礙,培養(yǎng)學(xué)生主動進(jìn)行文化對比的意識,引導(dǎo)學(xué)生了解文化差異,使學(xué)生既能接受對方不同的文化,也能在語言中包含我們自己的文化,減少文化沖擊給學(xué)生帶來的理解障礙。
其次,教師應(yīng)當(dāng)努力改善英語教學(xué)環(huán)境,為學(xué)生提供良好的英語學(xué)習(xí)、交流的情境。我們的學(xué)生在用英語進(jìn)行交流時,往往先把聽到的英語句子翻譯成漢語,然后想好怎么應(yīng)對,再把應(yīng)對的話翻譯成漢語,往往詞不達(dá)意,擺脫不了漢語思維模式帶來的障礙。要解決這一問題,教師應(yīng)當(dāng)努力給學(xué)生提供一個良好的英語學(xué)習(xí)和交流的環(huán)境,鼓勵學(xué)生參與英語角等活動,鼓勵學(xué)生與以英語為母語者多進(jìn)行交流,鼓勵學(xué)生互相進(jìn)行交流,鼓勵學(xué)生課外閱讀英文原版讀物,鼓勵學(xué)生選取優(yōu)秀的英語影視作品反復(fù)觀看,鼓勵學(xué)生進(jìn)行角色扮演甚至話劇排演等活動。在教學(xué)中,教師應(yīng)運用現(xiàn)代化的教學(xué)方式和手段,以多種多樣的形式,如網(wǎng)絡(luò)、廣播等,讓學(xué)生更多的接觸較為真實的英語語言環(huán)境,了解以英語為母語者的日常生活和交流方式,為學(xué)生能準(zhǔn)確、得體的使用英語進(jìn)行交際打下基礎(chǔ)。
篇6
摘 要
近年來,隨著我國改革開放的發(fā)展和我國與國際間的經(jīng)濟(jì)、科技、文化交流日益頻繁,人們越來越重視外國文化問題。同時,我們也逐漸認(rèn)識到了了解外國文化在對外交往中的重要性。在教育領(lǐng)域中,外語教學(xué)也漸漸重視對學(xué)生交際能力的培養(yǎng)。然而,對許多老師而言,文化教學(xué)還是一個較新的概念,從跨文化角度對英語教學(xué)進(jìn)行研究探討在目前還是個新領(lǐng)域。我們必須認(rèn)識到交際能力的培養(yǎng)是外語教學(xué)的主要目標(biāo),培養(yǎng)學(xué)生跨文化交際的技能是中學(xué)外語教學(xué)要達(dá)到的一個目標(biāo)。文化教學(xué)在中學(xué)英語教學(xué)中的重要性不可忽視,英語學(xué)習(xí)者不了解英語國家的文化,就無法獲得交際能力。因此在中學(xué)英語口語教學(xué)中應(yīng)該目標(biāo)明確地,循序漸進(jìn)地,方法得當(dāng)?shù)貙?dǎo)入文化教學(xué),使英語學(xué)習(xí)者在學(xué)習(xí)語言和知識的同時受到文化的熏陶,在跨文化交際中游刃有余。
關(guān)鍵詞: 跨文化交際;文化教學(xué);中學(xué)英語口語教學(xué)
ABSTRACT
Since last century, because of reforming and opening policy, many people, especially young people go abroad to get a better job or get further education and so on. Besides, many foreigners are curious about our country. Consequently, people come to realize that if we know little about cross-cultural communication, there will be many conflicts. Some experts suggest that today’s English teaching should emphasize intercultural communication. Learners ought to know not only grammar or words, but should learn cultural knowledge. If not, they will meet many difficulties while they communicate with foreigners. Therefore, it is important to introduce this kind of knowledge while teaching. We can’t neglect the importance of culture teaching in middle school foreign language teaching, English teachers should integrate culture into ELF teaching gradually and appropriately. Thus the students may have a better understanding of the target language, and they may communicate freely and effectively in cross-culture communication.
Keywords:Cross-cultural communication; Cultural teaching; middle school ELF oral teaching
Contents
1. Introduction 2
2. the concept of intercultural communication 3
2.1 Literature review 3
2.2 Definition of intercultural communication 4
3.A survey based on classroom observations 7
3.1 The analysis of interviews 7
3.2 The analysis of a questionnaire 7
3.2.1 Data analysis on the questionnaire (1) 9
3.2.2 Data analysis on the questionnaire (2) 10
3.2.3 Data analysis on culture curriculum 12
4. Ways of improving cross-cultural communication competence in middle school oral teaching 15
4.1 The necessity of develop cross-cultural communication competence 17
4.2 Some strategies for improving cross-cultural communication competence in the ELF oral learning in chinese middle school 17
4.2.1 Some strategies to learners 17
4.2.2 Some strategies to teachers 19
5. Conclusion 25
Acknowledgements 26
References 27
AppendixⅠ 28
1. Introduction
Language is just like a mirror that reflects its national culture. Sociologists and anthropologists believe that culture comprises all products of human activity, including fields of literature, art, music, architecture, and scientific as well as aspects of customs, life-style, code of conduct, worldly wisdom and social organization, etc. Languages are generally accepted words and rules drawn from speech. Language is the carrier of culture and culture is the content of language20.
Worldwide interest in intercultural communication grows out of two assumptions. First, we live in an age when changes in technology, travel, economy, and political systems, immigration patterns, especially the emergence of Internet, have created a world in which we increasingly interact with people from different cultures. And whether we like it or not, these interactions will continue to grow in both frequently and intensely. Second, people now know that the influence of culture affects communication in a subtle way. Our culture perceptions and experiences help determine how the world looks and how we interact in the world.
However, as we look back to see the situation in China’s high schools. We see that, for several decades, language teachers have not been able to pay attention to the role of culture knowledge in language oral teaching. Nowadays, in the ELF oral teaching, especially in middle school, teachers pay much attention to vocabulary.
As Chinese culture is not the same as that of English-speaking countries, the rules for using Chinese are, in some respects, different from those using English. There is especially good evidence that Chinese students may transfer their mother tongue references of language used to their English performance and fail to communicate effectively[1]24. Misunderstanding caused by cross-cultural communication should break down and much attention should be paid to them in English language t eaching.
So in middle school ELF oral teaching, teachers must not only improve students’ language level, but also pay attention to cultivating students’ abilities of intercultural communication.
2. The concept of intercultural communication
2.1 Literature review
More and more common practice of intercultural communication promotes the emergence of the concept of intercultural communicative competence. It is a challenging issue for language study and language teaching.
In 1965, Chomsky put forward the concept of linguistic competence and linguistic performance. Later, it was challenged by Campbell and Wales (1970) and Hymes (1972). Hymes (1972) argues that the appropriateness of language is the core of communicative competence, and he sees communicative competence as part of cultural competence. Canale and Swain (1980) put forward a more complex framework, and Canale (1983) summarized communicative competence in the way that it includes four component parts --- grammatical, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic. Canale’s conclusion in fact suggests that all aspects of language using are determined by culture. The continuous theoretical research of communicative competence has paved the way for the development of language teaching in which cultural factors are considered more and more important.
In 1975, the first textbook on intercultural communication “An Introduction to Intercultural Communication” (Conden & Yousef ) was published, and many other books followed it. The research on intercultural communication has developed quickly, and has exerted incredible influence on language and cultural teaching.
Traditional language teaching divides language techniques into listening, speaking, reading and writing. Deman (1987) applied the theories of intercultural communication to language and cultural teaching, and viewed cultural teaching as the fifth dimension of language teaching. Seelye published a book named “Teaching Culture: Strategies for Foreign Language Education” in 1984. Gumperz (1982) conducted investigations on the “discourse strategy” of the communicators who had a non-English cultural background and who spoke English as the second language. He revealed that those communicators’ assumptions of the world that had been formed in their native cultural context would exert great influence on intercultural communication. This, in turn, has stimulated a trend in language teaching that sees culture as discourse (Widdowson, 1984; Mclarthy, 1991; Kramsch, 1993; Candlin,1994; Hanks,1996). So since 1990, process-centered and task-oriented teaching mode has been widely adopted in the west.
Besides, American applied linguist G. Robinson (1985) put forward an important concept that through language and cultural teaching learners would gain “Cultural Versatility”. That is to say, through learning culture, learners would change internally. This viewpoint is quite significant.
Prof. Michael Bryam’s research is also strikingly notable. He holds that foreign language education includes four parts: language learning, language understanding, cultural understanding, and cultural experience.
2.2 Definition of intercultural communication
“Intercultural Communication” can hence be defined as the interpersonal interaction between members of different groups, which differ form each other in respect of the knowledge shared by their members and in respect of their linguistic forms of symbolic behavior. In this Concepts of intercultural and Combines the Concepts of intercultural and communication, It also describes the problems and pitfalls of misunderstanding and the skills and competence required for successfully understanding member of other culture.
Thanks to Edward T. Hall who is regarded as the founder of intercultural communication, a new brink knowledge, intercultural communication, has been becoming more and more widespread in the whole world ever since the publication of his great work The Silence Language. Intercultural communication is a symbolic, interpretive, transactional, contextual processing tool with which people from different cultures create shared meaning[2]115. Intercultural communication occurs whenever a message produced in one culture must be processed in another culture. It can best be understood as cultural variance in the perception of social objects and events. The barriers to communication caused by this perceptual variance can best be lowered by a knowledge and understanding of cultural factors that are subject to variance, coupled with an honest and sincere desire to communicate successfully across cultural boundaries.
Intercultural communication refers to communication between persons who have d ifferent cultural beliefs, values, or ways of behaving.
2.2.1 Cultural and cross-cultural communication
Cultural awareness in language learning is the ability to be aware of cultural relativity following reading, writing, listening and speaking. As Claire kramsch points out…[12]
If…language is seen as social practice, culture becomes the very core of language teaching, cultural awareness must then be viewed as enabling language proficiency…
Language itself is defined by culture. Language competent cannot be achieved without a good understanding of culture that shapes it, especially in foreign language learning. It is not only therefore essential to have cultural awareness, but also have cross-cultural communication awareness, such as the understanding of the relationship between target culture and native culture.
2.2.2 Culture teaching and ELF oral teaching in middle school
The interrelationship between culture teaching and language teaching has been explored in depth by Michael Byram. The basis of Byram’s position is that it views language as a cultural phenomenon, embodying the values and meanings particular to a specific society, referring to the traditions and artifacts of that society and signaling its people’s sense of themselves—their cultural identity: “to teach foreign culture is to introduce learners to new competences and to allow them to reflect upon their own culture and cultural competence[2].” It is assumed by others that language could somehow stand alone and be taught as a value-free symbolic system. But the social nature of language works oppositely when separating it from its original culture, especially when appearing in overseas contexts, where the learners’ contact with the culture is largely confined to the foreign language classroom.
Traditional foreign language teaching does not pay much attention to cultural factor. It focuses mainly on the vocabulary and structure of the language. But plenty of facts prove that language is not only a symbol, a system, which put forward by pure linguistic theory scholar, but also a social practice. Therefore successful foreign language teaching must help the student master the knowledge of culture rules, in addition to use them in particular situation. Every nation has its unique culture pattern and language is the carrier of culture. For instance, Asians emphasize the importance of orderly society whereas Americans emphasize the importance of personal freedom and individual rights. For effective and appropriate communication, learners in middle school must be familiar with the differences in the foreign culture which they are learning and take according language behaviors.
3. A survey based on classroom observations
Survey date: 25/02/2009
Survey instrument: interview and questionnaire.
Subjects: students of Ning Bo Chai Qiao middle school. 30 students are interviewed, 98 students (30 interviewed students and another 68 students) participate in questionnaire. All the 98 copies of questionnaire are valid.
The objective of this survey is to investigate:
1) Students’ attitudes towards cross-cultural communication in the ELF oral learning
2) Current situation of students’ information input.
3.1 The analysis of interviews
Thirty English learners are interviewed and are invited to answer only one question: what is a competent language learner like in your eyes? The responses tend to fall into three categories:
(1) Twenty five interviewees think that he or she is good at English listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities, especially at speaking and listening;
(2) Ten of them think he or she is familiar with foreign culture and is a successful cross-cultural communicator.
(3) Five of them think a good command of native language is necessary.
In order to describe more directly, the results of interviews are put into a table (Table.1).
Table1. Results of the Interview
Positive attitudes Percentage
Language proficiency learning(reading, writing, speaking and listening) 83.33% (25/30)
Accumulation of culture 33.33% (10/30)
Mother tongue proficiency 16.67% ( 5/30)
These students’ responses reveal the following information:
Firstly, these students still see the four basic skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) as their main study objective. Secondly, cross-cultural communication competence has already been realized by language learners, but this group is small compared to the whole. Thirdly, the importance of mother tongue competence has only been seen by a few interviewees.
According to this interview, most interviewees have realized the importance of language proficiency in language learning, but the point is why only one third of the interviewees have realized the importance and necessity of cross-cultural communicative competence since which are discussed so warmly in present language teachin g world? Do they hold a negative view on it or do they just have not yet obtained the awareness consciously?
3.2 The analysis of a questionnaire
The English learning questionnaire consists of nine closed-ended questions (see Appendix), For instance, “you have the interest and passion in English and language learning”, and the answers falls into four types:
1. Strongly Agree (SA) 2. Agree (A) 3. Disagree (D) 4. Strongly Disagree (SD)
According to the research content, the analysis of questionnaire is divided into two parts. The first five are put in Table 2 and the rest four questions are put in Table 4.
3.2.1 Data analysis on the questionnaire (1)
This part of analysis involves data analysis on questions 1-5 in the questionnaire and a comparison between the responds of the interviews and the questionnaire.
3.2.1.1 Data analysis on the questionnaire (1)
Table2. Results of Questions 1-5 in Questionnaire
SA A D SD
1) The cultivation of English skills(reading, writing, speaking and listening) is the foundation of the language learning 60.29% 31.65% 2.04% 6.02%
2) Reading English novels everyday is necessary 17.35% 69.39% 13.26% 0.00%
3) It is important to acquire a good knowledge of native language in the ELF oral learning 44.90% 53.06% 2.04% 0.00%
4) The accumulation of language and cross-cultural communication competence are of equal importance 50.00% 48.98% 1.02% 0.00%
5) It is necessary to read materials regularly about politics, economy, culture, and so on 39.80% 60.20% 0.00% 0.00%
Questions 1-5 (see appendix) indicate a clear picture of students’ attitudes towards language proficiency learning, native language learning, and accumulation on cross-cultural communication competence, literature, and politics and so on. On the importance of the cultivation of reading, speaking, listening and writing in language learning, 91.94% (60.29% SA+31.65% A) of English majors agree and of which 64.29% strongly agree. On daily English novels reading, a total of 86.74% (17.35% SA+69.39% A) consider it necessary. On the necessity a good command of native language, 97.96% (44.90% SA+53.06% A) of English learners agree. On the relation of native language learning and foreign language learning, 98.98% (50.0% SA+48.98% A) believe that these two are of equal importance. Finally, on a regularly reading of politics, economy, and culture, all (39.80% SA+60.20% A) the students hold a supportive attitude.
3.2.1.2 Comparison between the interviews and the questionnaire
With regards to the similarities of the contents examined, it seems necessary to
have a comparison between the responds of the interviews and the questionnaire.
Table3. Comparison between the Interviews and the Questionnaire
Positive attitudes (SA+A) Interview
(open-ended) Questionnaire
(close-ended)
Foreign Language proficiency learning(reading, writing, speaking and listening) 83.88% 91.94%
Accumulation of intercultural communication competence 33.33% 98.98%
Mother tongue proficiency 16.67% 97.96%
From the table above, the comparison is very clear that, towards the same research content, interviewees’ responds vary when they are faced with different types of questions. The gap is especially seen on the accumulation of cross-cultural communication competence and native language proficiency. Compared with open-ended question in the interview, interviewees tend to hold a more supportive view on closed-ended questions in the questionnaire. In other word, most English learners subjectively admit the importance of the accumulation of cross-cultural communication competence and native language proficiency, but the point is, not all of them have already obtained the awareness. However, two questions have been proposed from the comparison: (1) Why English learners have not obtained the cross-cultural awareness which should be tied up with the ELF oral learning? (2) Is that because they subjectively lack learning motivation or objectively, they lack timely and efficiently teachers’ cultural guidance?
3.2.2 Data analysis on the questionnaire (2)
This part of questionnaire (table4 in next page) mainly focuses on students’ attitudes towards learning motivation as well as classroom learning. Before the analysis is taken, a brief introduction on motivation can help to have a better understanding on the analysis.
1) Integrative motivation
Motivation has been identified as the learners’ orientation with regards to the goal of learning foreign language69. This form of motivation is known as integrative motivation.
.2) Instrumental Motivation
In contrast to integrative motivation is the form of motivation which is known as in strumental motivation. This is generally characterized by the desire to obtain something practical from the study of foreign language[9]125. With instrumental motivation, the purpose of study is more practical, such as meeting the requirements for college graduation, applying for a job and achieving higher social status.
Table4. Results of Questions 6-9 in Questionnaire
SA A D SD
6) Your have the interest and passion in the ELF oral learning 14.29% 61.22% 21.43% 3.06%
7) You would prefer to get an English-related job after the graduation 21.43% 66.33% 11.22% 1.02%
8) The present classroom teaching can cultivate your learning abilities and improve your cross-cultural skills 2.04% 7.14% 71.43% 19.39%
9) You hope to have English class in various forms such as discussion, presentation, debate, performance and so on. 25.51% 63.27% 9.18% 2.04%
As is shown in the table (results of questions 6 and 7), 75.51% (14.29%SA+61.22%A) of English learners have the interest and passion in language learning, and 87.76% (21.43%SA+66.33%A) of them would like to get an English related job in the future. According to the introduction of motivation, the answers to those two questions (questions 6 and 7) can be taken as the representation of integrative and instrumental motivation respectively. Therefore, a conclusion can be made that, most students subjectively want to make a living by using their language competence.
In order to check the condition of students’ cultural information input, questions 8 and 9 are designed and analyzed. 89.82% (71.43%D+19.39SD) of English learners do not think that the present classroom teaching can cultivate their learning abilities and improve their cross-cultural communication competence, whereas a total of 88.78% (25.51%SA+63.27%A) hope to have English class in various forms such as discussion, presentation, debate, performance and so on. It can be found that most English majors are not satisfied with the current classroom teaching. They hope to enjoy a more interactive and communicative teaching style. The traditional text-based grammatical and linguistic teaching could not meet the needs of the cultivation of communicative competence to some extent. What’s more important is that students are supposed to have a consciously as well as unconsciously cultural awareness promote by language teachers.
3.2.3 Data analysis on culture curriculum
It is shown from the result of question 8 in the table above (table 4) that present foreign language teaching has not provided a satisfactory fruit on cultural awareness cultivation. A question should be taken into consideration, that is, how can cross-culture awareness be expressed in the foreign language curriculum, with the purpose to cultivate language learners’ cultural awareness and communication insight into the target civilization? For a long time, this has been attempted by introducing the geographical environment and historical or political development of the foreign culture, its institutions and customs, its literary achievements, and even everyday life of its people. Take English learners in Ning Bo Chai Qiao middle school as an example, their cultural input has largely come from courses such as Extensive Reading, Communication between Cultures, American Literature, and An Outline Introduction to Britain and America, and so on. Following is a basic analysis on the four courses.
Table5. Courses Information
Course Duration Teacherˊs background
Extensive Reading first 4 terms Chinese
Communication between cultures the 7th term New Zealander
American literature the 7th term Chinese
An Outline Introduction to Britain and America the 7th term Canadian
Extensive Reading was taught by a Chinese teacher during the first four terms, and the teaching contents mainly focus on western culture, economy, politic, education and so on. After two years study, it helps students build up a general view on western civilization. Communication between Cultures is taught by a English-speaking teacher from New Zealand, the teaching content seems “boring and meaningless” said the majority of students, the teacher read the chapters from the book to the class instead of giving practical cross-cultural communication analysis. So for most students, they did not learn as much as they expected from this course. American literature was taught by a Chinese teacher, and the teaching contents include background information introduction and literacy reading. An Outline Introduction to Britain and America was taught by a Canadian teacher who has a good experience on both British and American cultures. In this course, students are introduced to a comparison of the British and American culture.
From what have been introduced above, it can be seen that although there are four courses and an 28-month course duration, most of what students have taken is an education of “cultural background knowledge” on Chinese or English rather t han practical cross-cultural communication stimulation such as comparisons or contradictions between the target and native culture. To some extent, it revels why most English students have not got a conscious awareness in cultural or cross-cultural communication competence.
Through comparisons between the interview and the questionnaire, it can be seen that students hold positive attitudes on develop the competence of intercultural communication, but for some reasons, not so many have already obtained conscious cross-cultural awareness. Through further analysis of curriculum on cultural teaching, it reveals that present cultural teaching in ELF oral teaching shows the weakness in practical, sufficient and conscious cultural input to help build up language learner’s cross-cultural awareness. Moreover, the current teaching is also expected to be more communicative and interactive. Thus, following on are the possible ways to promote the competence of intercultural communication,
4.1 The necessity of develop cross-cultural communication competence
Firstly, it is vital for language teachers to help language learners develop their cross-cultural communication competence. If the final purpose of intercultural communication competence cultivation is to help students to acquire cross-cultural communication competence, then what cross-cultural communication competence is? According to Kramsch’s opinion, cross-cultural awareness is not really a skill, but a collection of skills and attitudes known as a competence[12].
Secondly, it is necessary to make clear what cross-cultural awareness skills students are supposed to acquire. It has been suggested that cross-cultural awareness consists of having four different perspectives on communication with a different culture. Cross-cultural competent students should be able to:
----look at their own culture from the point of view of their own culture (for example, having a good understanding and awareness of their own culture)
----Be aware of how their culture is seen from outside, by other countries or cultures
----understand or see the target culture from its own perspective (for example, understanding and being aware of what other people think of their own culture)
----Be aware of how they see the target culture
4.1.1 The request of the development of Internationalization
Lin Dajin in the “cross-cultural communication study, ” pointed out that culture can be defined as “ the integrated feature that a nation is distinct from another nation. ” Cultural differences are the barriers of cross-cultural communication. The modernization process accelerated the circulation of spiritual and material products, and brought all nationalities into a common “global village”, cross-cultural communication became an integral part of national life. If people do not understand the cultural convention in the USA or Britain, and use the way of China to treat foreigners, then it will create a lot of jokes, and even hurt each other's feelings, self-esteem and cause misunderstanding. Thus, to overcome the cultural differences caused by communication barriers has become a common problem faced by the entire world.
4.1.2 It is imperative to understand the cultural background knowledge
Understanding cultural knowledge is the key to language learning. “One can not really learn the language, and teach language well unless one knows the patterns and norms of culture and cultural background[14]224. ” Without a specific cultural background, language is non-existent. If we don’t know the culture of target language, we would find it is difficult to understand the meaning of certain words. For example, “Thanksgiving”, “Sandwich” has been brought about in a specific social and historical circumstance, it is not enough merely to know the meaning of the surface of these words. Another example is: “You are, indeed, a lucky dog”, the literal translation is “you are a lucky dog. ” This is a satiric sentence in China, because, in Chinese views, “dog” is an expression when people used to refer generally to dislike someone. While in English, it can mean, “You are a lucky man. ” In Western society, “dog” is a family member, and they are harmonious coexisting with people “Dog” here refers to people instead of satirizing others, but a very intimate expression.
4.1.3 Cultural knowledge teaching is the objective of language teaching
The main objective of language teaching is to train and develop students’ interpersonal skills. And cultural knowledge teaching can increase the ability of cross-cultural communication, which is the important content to achieve goals of language teaching. For example, in American society, praise and compliments language that flatter mainly a personal appearance, new things, personal property, and individuals in a ce rtain area are commonly used as the introduction to a conversation. This is different from Chinese. Thus, different nations have different cultural environments, different living habits and different languages behavior expressions. And as a language learner, if not ideologically “physically entering their social linguistic environment” will be difficult to achieve the goal of language learning,not to say that language teaching objectives will be accomplished.
4.2 Some strategies for improving cross-cultural communication competence in the ELF oral learning in Chinese middle school
After the survey research and data analysis, now we have a clear idea of the common reasons that triggered the weakness of the cross-cultural communication in middle school ELF oral teaching. However, we do not have a clarity solution about this situations. Therefore, some strategies were listed here to help learners with their language learning.
4.2.1 Some strategies to learners
4.2.1.1Raising culture awareness
Culture awareness is the term we have used to describe sensitivity to the impact of culturally---induced behavior on language use and communication. It including two qualities: one is awareness of one’s own culture, the other is awareness of the culture[7]15.
Unfortunately, in China, cross-cultural communication errors can be found from time to time. In the ELF oral learning, culture factor needs to be taken seriously. To cultivate students’ intercultural communication we need first to arouse their cultural awareness. Because of different cultural background, life experience, profession, sex, education, even age, character, people may have different modes of interaction. People learn to think, feel, behave and strive for what their culture considers proper. These means there might not be the same as what is intended by the speaker. If we are aware of this, we can avoid ethnocentricity, and can have better communication with people all over the world.
Speakers of a foreign language often have the experience of making careless mistakes which may cause get angry, may be embarrassing and may arouse hostility from native speaker. Often such mistakes occur even though the application of the linguistic rules of grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation is correct. These mistakes are culture errors but occur because of not knowing or choosing the appropriate style, and manner to use for effective communication.
4.2.1.2 The development of sensitiveness to culture differences
There are four stages in the development of the sensitiveness to culture differences. The first, one can make out the obvious, superficial culture characteristics. In other word, he will find them interesting and exotic. The second, one can judge the delicate meaningful cultural characteristics that are quite different from his own. Usually he will feel them incredible or hard to accept .The third, one can accept the cultural characteristics after rational analysis. The fourth, one can be in the other peoples’ shoes and appreciate the cultural characteristics. In other words, the first three stage can be understood, and the fourth empathy.
4.2.1.3 The development of empathy
In order to communication effectively, you need a deep degree of empathy, that is to be able to understand the other person’s affective and cognitive states. Empathy differs from sympathy in that it does not include pity or approval. And focuses on the feelings of others, not our own[12]114. Empathy involves relativism and flexibility, which knowledge alone cannot consist. Teachers can create good classroom environment where students tolerate and appreciate different norms by bringing up students’ empathy. In China, we always emphasize collectivism instead of individualism. But in English class, we advocate differences, to encourage students to understand each other.
To facilitate empathy, we can take these measures:
(1) Subjects like history, anthropology, and sociology should be introduced into
the curriculum. Through these subjects, the students can not only acquaint themselves with the examples of foreign culture, but also master some concepts and principles concerning with culture.
(2) The students should be encouraged to read broadly in Chinese middle
school, both fiction non-fiction, literal or philosophical. Including proverbs, broad reading can be a student better understand and communicate with other cultures. Only through broad reading can he know the taboos, values, beliefs and religion of another culture, only through broad reading can be truly come to realize why privacy is so important and that individualism is so cherished.
(3) The students should he sent abroad for further study if possible. Thus they
can live with the natives for some time, no chance is better than the close contact. They can enjoy the new culture. By enhancing ICC, the intercultural communication of the learners can be carried out tactfully, acco rding to different context.
4.2.2 Some strategies to teachers
Language teachers are supposed to exert instructional strategies to help language learners promote their cross-cultural communication competence, that is, provide language learners with some useful ideals for presenting culture from its own perspective, for example, understanding and being aware of what people in target culture think of their own culture.Chinese teachers should take advantage of foreign teachers. Foreign teachers are rich in knowledge, idiomatic English, strong teaching culture context, full of wit and humor, longing to understand much more about Chinese culture. This attitude can have a great influence on students, and increased their desire of learning English well and knowing about the culture of English-speaking countries. Teachers can make full use of such rare chances and consult foreign teachers that they are according to the calendar, then all of the teachers and students can try their best to create all kinds of conditions to speak them imitatively —Action speak louder than words. Just as what we mentioned above, we have been aware of the importance of learning some cultural knowledge about the target language. It seems impossible and unnecessary for us to have a systematic study of target culture, which covers almost everything, in one’s whole lifetime. The difficulty shows that culture is ubiquitous, multidimensional and complex. A good solution to this problem might be to learn selectively those cultural factors that have great influence on intercultural communication, and that are closely related to the language. So on culture teaching we should follow these principles :( 1) interrelated. that is culture teaching must be interrelated with the content of the text. (2) Appropriate, that is culture teaching must be subjected to language teaching. (3) Practical, that is culture teaching must try to be “useful” for students in their communication. (4) Scientific, that is culture knowledge must be taught correctly, completely and objectively. (5) Flexible, that is culture teaching must be flexible according to the change of the world.
We must obey these five principles if we want to cultivate students’ abilities of cross-cultural communication. What we should teach in ELF classes is simply a foreign way of life related to the target language and teachers should avoid bringing their own cultural prejudice into class. The world is changing, so are the traditions and customs. The constant changes require us to improve our skills of intercultural communication by doing two things: understanding the cultural differences, especially the differences in the deep structure of different cultures, and becoming flexible in intercultural communication. There is a great tendency that one culture adopts the elements from another that are compatible with its own values and beliefs or that can be changed without causing major disruption.
4.2.2.1 Make full use of developing the interest of the competence of intercultural communication in the ELF oral learning in Chinese middle school
Intercultural communication is a big issue, which is not easy for both teachers and students to understand and realize. For successful cultural teaching, we suggest doing the following:
(1) Teach culture differences. Teachers should directly address the similarities and peculiarities between the source culture and the target culture. This can be done through the comparison of the two cultures.
(2) Provide opportunities for students to use the language in situational conversations. While introducing the students play a real-life role and practice their everyday language use according to the varied situation.
(3) Induce students to read literal works, which are vivid and abundant material to understand the character, the psychological state, culture characteristics, convention, and social relationships. Reading newspaper is also the direct path.
(4) Be aware of your students development level, when selecting themes or concepts to present. At first, learning activities should be clear and specific in lower levels, gradually, becoming more complex than the level of the student increases. There are a variety of children’s fiction which presents concepts like similarities, differences and prejudice which can be used at lower levels. At upper levels fiction and biographies can be used to present the more complicated ideas. Try to connect the unfamiliar with the familiar, the known with the unknown.
(5) Use plenty of ways in both general learning tasks and in language learning tasks.
(6) Use varied methods to check the understanding level of the students.
(7) Be enthusiastic. As a teacher you need to be aware of the value of learning a second language in terms of its contribution to developing cultural aware and a range of other cognitive and vocational benefits. Your attitude will influence the attitudes of the child ren in the class and their parents.
Beside, Chinese teachers should take advantage of foreign teachers. Foreign teachers are rich in knowledge, idiomatic English, strong teaching culture context, full of wit and humor, longing to understand much more about Chinese culture. This attitude can have a great influence on students, and increased their desire of learning English well and knowing about the culture of English-speaking countries. Teachers can make full use of such rare chances and consult foreign teachers that they are according to the calendar, then all of the teachers and students can try their best to create all kinds of conditions to speak them imitatively —Action speak louder than words.
For example, we once tried to spend Christmas and Hallowmas with all foreign teachers together in our school .The students were very interested and active in the activities, and such experiences can have impressed them strongly and forever.
Teachers should encourage students to communicate with foreign teachers and some other foreigners in and out of school. Students and foreign teachers can have classes, play games and take part in many kinds of activities together. Communicating with foreigners can provide students with the real cultural context in which English is used actually and stimulate students to learn English well including knowing about foreign culture.
As the success of many activities depends on good organization and on the students knowing exactly what they are to do. A teacher is thus mainly an organizer, whose work is different from administrator of a school system. But the teacher, like any other organizer, works primarily with people, and his task and responsibility are to create situations in which people can do their best and achieve their best.
Since teachers are key roles during culture teaching, they must play a positive role in helping the students to develop intercultural communicative competence and increase the students’ chances to succeeding in both language learning. It is not an expendable skill tacked on to the teaching of speaking, listening, writing and reading. It is always in some background. Lack of intercultural competence will limit the students’ ability to make sense of the world around them, and lead to failure in using English for communication across-culture.
4.2.2.2 Make full use of pictures, films, TV, computers and other audio-visual aids to make the teaching lively and interesting. Explore to the full the opportunities for students with the target culture information.
(1) Plays in and out of class
It is proved that plays in and out of class are probably the most efficient ways of language teaching.
The role of plays and dramas manifests itself when learners perform by themselves. Mini-dramas acted by students expose them to a “process of self-confrontation” with the target cultural communicates. The learners can act out mini-dramas written by them, which show misinterpretation of something that happens in the target cultural context. The cause of the problem is usually clarified in the final scene. Cultural similarities and differences will be analyzed by way of follow-up discussion.
In the listening book of Senior English book3 unit24, the material involves “finding a job”, English teachers can extract one or two advertisements from the magazine for students. Teachers can ask the students to divide into two groups, one group act as recruiters, and the other group act as applicants. By looking at the advertisements, appointing to interview, using some simple props, students can exchange views on working conditions, wages and other issues. Thus, students can understand the practical knowledge of Foreign Service work; the actors also can improve their abilities of practical language.
A short play can be broken down into sections. As learners learn (not memorize) one section, they move on to the next. By combining the sections, they have learned the play. The use of this technique enables different groups of learners to work on several short plays at the same time and leads to the creation of several shirt plays simultaneously.
Drama is a useful tool in cultural learning. A full semester’s work can be built around a drama project, or it can fill five or ten minutes at the beginning or end of a lesson. It encourages the learners to view the linguistic and cultural knowledge as a tool for communication rather than as an academic subject. It can bring life and vitality to the classroom.
(2) Classroom presentation
At the beginning of each lesson, teachers can hold a “cultural corner” sessions, with 5-10 minutes. Teachers or students can introduce one aspect of Western culture, such as famous events of foreign country in history, a prominent figure in the world, or some literary works. To accumulate the cultural knowledge for a long time, students’ cultural knowledge will naturally become broad and rich.
(3) Photo display
Use maps, photographs, and illustrations of the text to introduce relative cultural elements vividly. For instance, when we teach the States of Liberty which appears in the lesson 10 of junior English book3, at first we can display a wall chart of the Statue of Liberty in the United States in front of the classroom, then ask the students to identify it and then observe the Statue of Liberty carefully in the facial expressions, posture language, the hold-high arm and torch. And then teachers can introduce the following cultural background briefly: Batuoerdi, a French sculptor, builds U.S. Statue of Liberty. He takes his mother's face and his wife's body as models to manufacture it. The Goddess of Liberty not only has swallowed vicissitudes face, but also perseverance. The torch in her hand is a symbol of freedom shining all over the world. Then teachers can guide the students to make analysis of the understanding of American national spirit through the Statue of Liberty. Teachers also can allow the students to list their deepest impression in other countries or ethnic representation construction.
(4) Song appreciation
The important function of the songs is to express one’s wishes. Many lyrics and melody of songs are also full of rich cultural content. Students generally are interested in songs. If time is enough in the class, teachers can choose one or two representative English songs for students to appreciate or learn to sing. It is an effective method in the teaching of English cultural knowledge to analyze the content of the lyrics and music rhythm feelings. And then the students can accept the cultural baptism. For example, a song has a lyric like “Love is blue.”(Blue love). Then what representation is “blue” in English? It often expressed "frustration and anxiety". Teachers cited examples to analyze, and then asked students to appreciate this song, try to see if there are any new experiences.
(5) Foreign festivals on the campus
This activity is of great interest to young students. The celebration could take place in a class, a grade or the whole school with the help of the branch of the Youth League. All kinds of activities can be held in festivals, such as performance of foreign songs, dancing and dramas, holding costume parties, watching foreign films, attending lectures given by foreign experts and enjoying foreign food. By celebrating foreign festivals, learners will immerse in the target cultural context. Teachers are to give introduction on the origin and the conventional activities of the festival. A comparison of the similarities and differences between the foreign festivals and Chinese festivals can develop the learners’ cultural awareness.
(6) Using authentic materials
Obviously, the best way to learn foreign cultural background knowledge is to go to that country to stay there for a period of time. But we know that it is almost impossible to have such an opportunity, especially for our students. Therefore, it is practically necessary for the teachers to use authentic materials to teach culture.
Mass media, such as, film, novels and especially newspapers and magazines, is also considered as an insightful means for teaching culture, for they reflect people’s way of life in terms of variety contemporaneity and authenticity. Students in an ELF setting will spontaneously ask questions about puzzling aspects of society and life as reflected in the film or magazine. This material is by no means easy to interpret because there is so much central inference and it requires deep familiarity with and comprehensive exegeses of the culture in question. Therefore “all such material should be selected with an eye to the subculture diversity of the target community”.
5. Conclusion
Today, international cultural exchange is going on directly and indirectly, with its new scope, content, form and method unheard of before. To confine oneself to one’s own culture is to go against the times. Now, in our country, the open policy towards the rest of the world has become a fundamental policy. This policy has brought about much broader prospects for international cultural exchange. Therefore, overcoming cultural barriers has become more and more important. Only by surmounting the barriers can we get a high degree of cultural exchange, make use of good things from other cultures and build up our cultural and material wealth. This exchange will contribute to understanding and friendship among nations as well as development in science and culture.
In the practical teaching, the culture teaching should be presented as many detailed as possible in the teaching syllabus. The teaching materials should not be located only in the source culture and should be a constructive attempt to be explicit about intercultural behavior and communication, especially, in view of the limited language available at this level. Besides, in the classroom ELF oral teaching, teachers are expected to use a variety of teaching methods that are suitable to students’ level. In intercultural communication settings, Chinese learners in culture instruction should keep an open mind: we should try to avoid the prejudiced culture stereotypes over the other cultures and our own. Especially, we should put higher focus on the learning of our own Chinese culture. Another key point is becoming awareness of our own culture bottom lines. We must learn what our own culture line is ― the values where we are can negotiate, but we cannot compromise. We can allow others to be different, and respect their differences as they respect ours.
Though the culture teaching is a very complicated and difficult part to deal with, the educators and teachers involved in language education should make great efforts to carry out this part thoroughly. This determines much whether the effective cross-cultural communication can be preceded smoothly between China and the world.
Acknowledgements
My initial thanks go to my supervisor Meng Dong, who patiently supervised my dissertation and was at times very willing to offer me illuminating advice or suggestions. Without her help, I could not have finished this dissertation.
I am also indebted to other teachers and my classmates who have not only offered me their warm encouragements but also shared with me their ideas and books. They are Han Xiaoya, Shen Yin and many others.
And I also appreciate Li Neng, who offer me great help during the time I was in the practice in Ning Bo Chai Qiao middle school. Without her help, I could not finish my survey in this paper.
The remaining weakness and possible errors of the dissertation are entirely my own.
References
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AppendixⅠ
*Questionnaire:
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
1) The cultivation of English skills(reading, writing, speaking and listening) is the foundation of the language learning
2) Reading English novels everyday is necessary
3) It is important to acquire a good knowledge of native language in foreign language learning
4) The accumulation of language and cross-cultural competence are of equal importance
5) It is necessary to read materials regularly about politics, economy, culture, and so on
6) You have the interest and passion in the ELF oral learning
7) You would prefer to get an English-related job after graduation
8) The present classroom teaching can cultivate your learning ability and improve your cross-cultural skills
9) You hope to have English class in various forms such as discussion, presentation, debate, performance and so on.
誠 信 承 諾
我謹(jǐn)在此承諾:本人所寫的畢業(yè)論文《論中學(xué)英語口語教學(xué)中跨文化交際能力的培養(yǎng)》均系本人獨立完成,沒有抄襲行為,凡涉及其他作者的觀點和材料,均作了注釋,若有不實,后果由本人承擔(dān)。
承諾人(簽名):
篇7
理論做了較完整的闡釋,并不斷將其發(fā)展完善。本文主要應(yīng)用空缺理論流派索羅金和馬爾科維納的觀點,并結(jié)合國內(nèi)外學(xué)者最新的研究成果,分析中俄跨文化交際中存在的各種文化空缺現(xiàn)象,具體從中俄
歷史背景、風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣、思維方式、及民族性格的差異五方面探索文化空缺現(xiàn)象的成因,從而為減少中俄跨文化交際中的沖突和摩擦,保障交際的順利進(jìn)行提供有效指導(dǎo)。
關(guān)鍵詞:中俄跨文化交際;空缺理論;空缺;文化空缺
中圖分類號:H0文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)識碼:A文章編號:1006-026X(2014)02-0000-02
引言
隨著國際交往的不斷加深,人們越來越意識到各國間的文化差異。在不同語言及文化的相互碰撞和比較中空缺現(xiàn)象被人們感知和發(fā)現(xiàn)。近年來,中俄關(guān)系保持良好發(fā)展勢頭,中俄跨文化交際也日益廣泛而
深入。本文從跨文化交際的視角出發(fā)運用空缺理論探索中俄跨文化交際中存在的各種文化空缺現(xiàn)象,重點從中俄歷史背景、風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣、思維方式、及民族性格的差異五方面分析文化空缺現(xiàn)象的成
因,以期對跨文化交際、外語教學(xué)等有更大的理論價值和實踐意義。
1. 空缺理論的產(chǎn)生與發(fā)展,
空缺現(xiàn)象是在20世紀(jì)50年代首先由美國著名的語言學(xué)家和人類學(xué)家霍凱特發(fā)現(xiàn)的,他在對比兩種語言的語法模式中提出了“偶然的缺口”( C.F.Hockett,1954:106-123)。70年代對空缺現(xiàn)象的研究引起
了越來越多國外學(xué)者的關(guān)注,如霍爾、巴爾胡達(dá)羅夫、維列夏金和科斯托馬羅夫等。美國文化人類學(xué)家霍爾通過對澳大利亞Warlpiri民族的數(shù)字以及顏色詞的研究,發(fā)現(xiàn)該民族缺少傳統(tǒng)意義上的數(shù)字和
其他民族所具有的基本顏色詞的名稱,將這一現(xiàn)象稱作“空白”“間隙”( Hall k.,1975)。前蘇聯(lián)翻譯理論家巴爾胡達(dá)羅夫在對比原語和譯語的詞匯時,采用了“無等值詞匯”的術(shù)語(巴爾胡達(dá)羅夫
著.蔡毅等譯:1985)。前蘇聯(lián)語言國情學(xué)的代表維列夏金和科斯托馬羅夫支持這一觀點并將其發(fā)展,這里不作詳細(xì)論述。到了80年代末,俄羅斯心理語言學(xué)家索羅金和馬爾科維納從民族心理語言學(xué)角度
出發(fā),針對異文化文本理解中出現(xiàn)的民族文化特點問題提出了解決方法,即空缺法,給出了空缺的定義、特點、分類等,它被認(rèn)為是對空缺現(xiàn)象較為全面、系統(tǒng)的闡釋。20世紀(jì)末以貝科娃為代表的空缺
理論流派綜合了前人的研究成果,重新闡釋了語言系統(tǒng)中空缺的本質(zhì),分類,空缺現(xiàn)象的成因及消除方法。
我國學(xué)者吸取國外先進(jìn)的研究成果,積極投入到空缺理論以及與其相關(guān)的語言文化學(xué)、翻譯學(xué)、跨文化交際學(xué)等學(xué)科的研究中,其中代表有:俄語學(xué)界的李向東(《空缺現(xiàn)象與空缺研究》)、何秋和(
《論空缺與翻譯理論》)、劉宏(《跨文化交際中的空缺現(xiàn)象與文化觀念研究》);德語學(xué)界的劉越蓮(《空缺理論在跨文化交際中的應(yīng)用》)等。
總之,經(jīng)過國內(nèi)外學(xué)者不斷的研究和探索,一個具有突破性意義的空缺理論誕生并不斷的被注入新鮮血液,不斷得以發(fā)展。
2. 空缺的含義及類型
有關(guān)空缺的含義,至今國內(nèi)外學(xué)界并沒有統(tǒng)一的說法。索羅金和馬爾科維納認(rèn)為,異文化文本理解是一種跨語言、跨文化的交際行為,在閱讀異文化文本時,讀者會遇到不理解、感到生疏的地方,這說
明篇章中存在反映民族文化的特別成分,即“空缺”,這是在一種文化中存在,而在另一種文化中沒有的事物、現(xiàn)象、特征等等。(李向東 2002:7)他們著眼于以文本為基礎(chǔ)闡釋空缺。我國學(xué)者何秋和
在進(jìn)行空缺與翻譯問題研究時,認(rèn)為“所謂空缺是指某個民族所具有的語言、文化現(xiàn)象,在另一民族之中并不存在”(何秋和 1997:48)。該定義深入淺出地展示了空缺的主要內(nèi)容。學(xué)者高鳳霞綜合前
人的研究成果,把空缺定義為“由于各民族在歷史背景、社會習(xí)俗、宗教文化、意識形態(tài)等方面的差異,在一種語言文化具有的概念、事物或現(xiàn)象,在另一種語言文化中找不到對應(yīng)或相近的表達(dá)方式,
形成了語言文化的空缺”(高鳳霞 2010:112)。我們認(rèn)為,第三個定義既包含了空缺的有關(guān)語言、文化的主要內(nèi)容,又簡明提出了空缺產(chǎn)生的一般原因,此定義對于以跨文化交際為視角剖析文化空缺現(xiàn)
象及其成因具有很大的指導(dǎo)意義。
一般來講,空缺主要有三大類:語言空缺、文化空缺和篇章空缺。其中篇章類空缺反映篇章在內(nèi)容、意圖和創(chuàng)作手法等方面的空缺,反映了比較抽象和模糊的特點(劉宏 2005:38)。語言空缺與文化空
缺的區(qū)別在于前者是由語言符號承載的空缺,其中包括語音空缺、語法空缺、詞匯空缺和修辭空缺;而后者則是在跨文化交際的過程中由非語言手段的差異而形成的空缺。有關(guān)語言空缺的研究多與翻譯
理論與實踐相結(jié)合,已經(jīng)很豐富,本文將不做研究。本文旨在研究文化空缺。具體來講,根據(jù)索羅金和馬爾科維納的空缺理論,文化空缺分為:1)民族心理空缺或主體空缺,反映屬于不同語言文化共同
體交際者的民族文化特征,包括性格空缺、情感空缺、思維能力空缺;2)交際活動空缺,反映各種交際活動的民族文化特點,包括思維方式空缺、行為空缺;3)文化空間空缺,反映不同語言文化共同
體對文化空間、活動場景的不同評價,包括認(rèn)識感知空缺、文化儲備空缺、民俗空缺(李向東 2002:7)??梢钥闯觯瑹o論是哪種類型的文化空缺,其主體是持不同文化背景的人。當(dāng)他們進(jìn)行交際時,其
交際行為有意或無意地受歷史背景、社會習(xí)俗、思維方式、和民族性格等因素的影響,不可避免地產(chǎn)生文化空缺,從而導(dǎo)致交際障礙。了解文化空缺的成因,有助于積極應(yīng)對跨文化交際中的沖
突和摩擦,保證交際的順利進(jìn)行。
3.中俄跨文化交際中的文化空缺分析
不同的國家、民族由于不同的歷史淵源、不同的社會習(xí)俗,形成了特定的文化背景,特定的文化背景又形成了不同的價值取向、思維方式、社會規(guī)范,這些因素給跨文化交際帶來潛在的障礙、低效率的
溝通、相互間的誤解以及可能導(dǎo)致的文化沖突。在跨文化交際中經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)這樣的情況,本民族交際雙方認(rèn)為是不言而喻的文化信息,對于另一個文化的人們來說則往往不知所云,這就是因為文化空缺的
存在。文化空缺現(xiàn)象是跨文化交際中的一種重要的文化現(xiàn)象,它充分體現(xiàn)了民族文化的獨特性及差異性。
中國文化和俄羅斯文化各具特色,又具有很大的差異。為了保證中俄跨文化交際的順利進(jìn)行,將從以下幾方面就文化空缺現(xiàn)象的表現(xiàn)及成因做一分析:
(1)中俄不同歷史背景導(dǎo)致的文化空缺
每個民族有著各自的歷史淵源和發(fā)展歷程。在其民族國家歷史發(fā)展進(jìn)程中的重大歷史事件和歷史人物,對其文明特征、民族性格的影響巨大,從而給這個民族留下了獨特而深刻的文化烙印。例如,漢俄
兩種文化中均有大量的歷史典故,這些歷史典故都承載著不同的民族文化特色和文化信息。如果不了解歷史背景,很容易導(dǎo)致理解錯位或文化誤讀,成為跨文化交際的障礙。如漢文化中的“臥薪嘗膽”
(勾踐)、“焚書坑儒”(秦始皇)、“破釜沉舟”(項羽)、“三顧茅廬”(劉備)、“精忠報國”(岳飛)等等,對于這些在中國基本上童孺皆知的歷史典故,在俄羅斯文化中卻找不到對應(yīng)或相近
的表達(dá)方式,俄羅斯人知之甚少。同樣地,如俄語中的“Крещение Руси”(羅斯受洗),這一事件對俄羅斯民族的乃至民族文化的發(fā)展方向產(chǎn)生了深遠(yuǎn)的影響,“Язык до К
иева доведёт”(會說話就能到基輔),這里的“基輔”實際上指的是第一個俄羅斯國家-基輔羅斯的首都,遠(yuǎn)近聞名。如果沒有足夠的歷史背景信息,在交際中涉及到與此相關(guān)的表達(dá),勢
必出現(xiàn)文化空缺,阻礙交際的順利進(jìn)行。
(2)中俄不同社會習(xí)俗導(dǎo)致的文化空缺
我國在民族文化傳統(tǒng)方面與俄羅斯存在著較大的差異,民族習(xí)俗也有諸多的不同,在社會禮儀、婚喪嫁娶、衣食住行等方面都存在差異。差異性從一個側(cè)面正反映出每一個民族社會習(xí)俗的獨特性。各民族
獨特的世情風(fēng)俗在跨文化交際中反映出來,就導(dǎo)致了巨大的文化空缺(高鳳霞 2010:113)。下面以俄文化的禮儀習(xí)俗和婚俗為例做一簡要闡釋。
在迎接貴賓時,俄羅斯人通常會向?qū)Ψ将I(xiàn)上“面包和鹽”。這既是為了表示親切、友好和尊重,也是給予對方的一種極高的禮遇,來賓必須對其欣然笑納。這一禮儀反映到日常交際中,就是餐桌上一定
要有面包,去做客時一定要吃面包。顯然,俄文化自古至今沿襲下的這個傳統(tǒng),在漢文化中并不存在,在中俄跨文化交際中導(dǎo)致行為空缺(交際活動空缺的一種)及民俗空缺(文化空間空缺的一種)的
產(chǎn)生。
在俄羅斯的婚禮上,賓客高喊“горько”(苦啊),即要求新人接吻,并且說完賀詞干杯后把玻璃杯拋向天花板成碎片,象征新人將有美滿的婚姻,而中國人最忌諱在喜慶的場合說類似“苦啊”
不吉利的話語及將物品打碎。一個民族的習(xí)俗對另一個民族文化群體而言常常找不到對應(yīng)的表達(dá)方式,產(chǎn)生文化空缺。
(3)中俄不同思維方式導(dǎo)致的文化空缺
不同的民族思維方式不同。在跨文化交際過程中思維方式的差異是影響人們交流順暢與否的一個重要因素。不同的民族都具有形象思維與邏輯思維兩大類型的思維方式,只是由于歷史背景和文化的原因
,形成了不同的偏好。對比中俄文化,傳統(tǒng)的中國文化思維方式具有較強的形象性、具體性,而俄羅斯文化思維方式具有較強的邏輯性、抽象性;在思維過程中,在理解一組信息的切入點方面,中國人
偏好綜合思維,而俄羅斯人偏好分析思維,在信息排列組合方面,中國人整體思維優(yōu)先,而俄羅斯人則是個體思維優(yōu)先(趙愛國等 2007:234-236)。究其原因,在中國,受幾千年來儒家、道家等多種學(xué)
派的影響,注重直覺、靈感來體悟和領(lǐng)會,而不是用邏輯推理論證。中國人重視整體,宣揚“天人合一”的思想,而俄羅斯人更傾向于個體思維優(yōu)先,思維方式空缺便由此產(chǎn)生。
(4)中俄不同導(dǎo)致的文化空缺
宗教作為人類文化的一種特殊形態(tài),幾乎與人類文化同步產(chǎn)生和發(fā)展,對人類生活的各個方面產(chǎn)生了影響。俄羅斯擁有深厚的宗教傳統(tǒng),自從公元988年基輔羅斯把基督教(實際指的是東正教)定為國教
以后,《圣經(jīng)》就在俄羅斯廣泛流傳。俄羅斯人的傳統(tǒng)文化觀念與文化心理是尊右卑左,究其原因與基督教有著密切的關(guān)系。基督教認(rèn)為人的右肩站著天使、左肩站著魔鬼。俄羅斯人尊右卑左的民族心理
或文化習(xí)俗至今在日常生活中仍有表現(xiàn),例如,他們不允許以左手接觸別人或以之遞送物品,學(xué)生忌用左手抽考簽,熟人見面不能用左手握手,早晨起來不可左腳先著地。而漢民族左右尊卑現(xiàn)象比俄羅
斯族要復(fù)雜得多,其淵源也不盡相同,從而造成中俄跨文化交際中的民族心理空缺和交際活動空缺。
(5)中俄不同民族性格導(dǎo)致的文化空缺
俄羅斯人素來以熱情、豪放而著稱于世,見面接吻和擁抱,是俄羅斯人的重要禮節(jié)。俄文化群體的性格特征向外向型凸現(xiàn)。相比較而言,漢文化群體內(nèi)斂、含蓄,身體接觸少,不善于情感流露,從而在
中俄跨文化交際中形成情感空缺(民族心理空缺的一種)。同樣,這也反映了不同的文化群體對于空間使用的不同看法,也是文化空間空缺的一種表現(xiàn)。
結(jié)語
通過對以上空缺理論和中俄跨文化交際中文化空缺現(xiàn)象及其成因的研究,可以看出空缺現(xiàn)象是跨文化交際中普遍存在的問題,空缺現(xiàn)象的產(chǎn)生和存在是一個民族認(rèn)知世界過程中相對其他民族認(rèn)知世界過
程的必然產(chǎn)物。重視文化空缺現(xiàn)象對于成功地進(jìn)行跨文化交際是十分重要的。我們應(yīng)該自覺樹立文化空缺意識,既熟悉俄羅斯文化又深深扎根于本民族文化土壤之中,為今后順利進(jìn)行中俄跨文化交際打
下基礎(chǔ)。
參考文獻(xiàn)
[1]Hockett C.F.,Chinese versus English:An exploration of the Whorfian thesis//language in Culture. Chicago,1954. P.106-123
[2]Hall K.,Gaps in grammar and culture//linguistics and anthropology: in honor of C.F.Voegelin. 1975.
[3]巴爾胡達(dá)羅夫著.蔡毅等譯.語言與翻譯[M].北京:中國對外翻譯出版公司,1985.
[4]高鳳霞.跨文化交際中的文化空缺現(xiàn)象探討[J].社科縱橫,2010(3).
[5]何秋和.論空缺與翻譯理論[J].中國俄語教學(xué),1997(02).
[6]賈玉新.跨文化交際學(xué)[M].上海:上海外語教育出版社,1997.
[7]李向東.空缺現(xiàn)象與空缺研究[J].中國俄語教學(xué),2002(11).
[8]劉宏.跨文化交際中的空缺現(xiàn)象與文化觀念研究[J].外語與外語教學(xué),2005(7).
[9]劉越蓮.空缺理論在跨文化交際中的應(yīng)用[J].外語學(xué)刊,2008(2).
[10]王秉欽.文化翻譯學(xué)[M].天津:南開大學(xué)出版社,2007.
篇8
【關(guān)鍵詞】大學(xué)英語 課堂 跨文化 交際能力 培養(yǎng)途徑
在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)中,為使學(xué)生掌握良好的英語交際能力。課堂教學(xué)中,教師應(yīng)重視對學(xué)生進(jìn)行英語文化的滲透,讓學(xué)生在理解英語文化、語言深層含義的基礎(chǔ)上,對學(xué)生進(jìn)行交際能力的培養(yǎng),有助于加深學(xué)生對英語知識的理解與技能的掌握。進(jìn)而可以有效促進(jìn)大學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的全面提升。但,在大學(xué)英語課堂教學(xué)中應(yīng)如何培養(yǎng)學(xué)生花文化交際能力呢,筆者認(rèn)為可以從以下做起。
一、借助教材,挖掘英語文化
在大學(xué)英語教學(xué)中,英語教材是學(xué)生進(jìn)行英語學(xué)習(xí)的重要依據(jù)。因此,在英語課堂培B學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的過程中,教師應(yīng)意識到教材的重要性。可以在課前深入教材,挖掘教材中的英語文化。然后,在課堂教學(xué)中,根據(jù)內(nèi)容,選擇合適的時機為學(xué)生進(jìn)行英語文化的滲透,可以對學(xué)生講解西方國家的文化背景知識、風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣等。通過這些知識激發(fā)學(xué)生的學(xué)習(xí)興趣,同時可以培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的跨文化交換能力。
例如,大學(xué)英語教師在講到西方的“社交禮儀”這一內(nèi)容時,可以為學(xué)生提出相關(guān)的問題,如:“西方人打招呼常說‘How do you do?(你好嗎?)’、‘It’s a nice day today.(今天是一個好天氣)’。如果,你去英國、美國旅行,早上起來跟人打招呼說‘Have you had your meal?(你吃過飯了嗎?)’你猜會出現(xiàn)什么情況呢?”在學(xué)生的一臉好奇中,教師可以解答這一疑問:“那這個老外八成會認(rèn)為你想請他吃飯?!苯又?,教師可以引導(dǎo)學(xué)生:“由此可見,會背、會寫英語句子、文章還是不夠的,為能夠與人用英語交流,不僅要會說,還應(yīng)懂得話應(yīng)該怎么說,在什么時候說什么。為達(dá)到這一目的,同學(xué)們應(yīng)積極了解一些英語文化,以免之后鬧笑話?!蓖ㄟ^這樣的形式,可以讓學(xué)生在輕松、愉快的氛圍中掌握相關(guān)的英語知識。
二、差異對比,加深語言理解
大學(xué)階段的學(xué)生,英語基礎(chǔ)、學(xué)習(xí)效率與英語能力間存在明顯差異。故在以教師引導(dǎo)為主的大學(xué)英語課堂教學(xué)中,由于部分學(xué)生對英語文化的理解有限,故對于教師講述的部分英語知識無法理解。這在一定程度上影響了學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)效率的提升,不利于學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的提升。為改善這一情況,教師可以采取差異教學(xué),將中西方文化放在一起,引導(dǎo)學(xué)生將其對比,以加深學(xué)生對教學(xué)知識的理解。
以“spend money like water(揮金如土)”這句話為例。教師在講解時,可以將其板書在黑板上,讓學(xué)生猜測其中文含義。當(dāng)學(xué)生猜測其是“花錢如流水”的意思后,教師可以讓學(xué)生說出相同含義的成語。當(dāng)有學(xué)生答出“揮金如土”后,教師可以以此提出相關(guān)教學(xué)問題:“為什么中文的‘揮金如土’在英語中就變成‘spend money like water’了?土與水有什么關(guān)系?”以此,引發(fā)學(xué)生的好奇。教師在給學(xué)生思考與討論的時間后,可以為其做出解釋:“這是因為中、英國家的地域不同,英國是島國,四周環(huán)水,航海業(yè)發(fā)達(dá),人們與大海時常接觸。而中國人大多在亞洲大陸生活,與土地接觸密切,生活也離不開土地。因此,同樣意思的一句話,在中英兩國語言中就用不同的東西表達(dá),這其實與不同國家的勞動與生活聯(lián)系密切?!蓖ㄟ^這樣的解釋,學(xué)生可以在掌握英語知識的同時可以了解相關(guān)的英語文化,有助于促進(jìn)學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的提升。
三、實踐教學(xué),提升交際能力
為提升大學(xué)生英語跨文化交際能力,最主要的途徑還是聽與說。但在傳統(tǒng)的大學(xué)英語課堂教學(xué)中,教師所組織的聽與說的活動過于單一,導(dǎo)致學(xué)生聽、說興趣不高,不利于學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的提升。對此,新時期教學(xué)中,教師可以適時適當(dāng)?shù)慕M織學(xué)生開展多樣化的實踐活動,讓學(xué)生在實踐中樂意聽、主動說,從而促進(jìn)學(xué)生英語綜合能力的全面提升。
例如,教師可以抽出一定的時間,組織學(xué)生觀看英語電影。提示學(xué)生在觀看的過程中,關(guān)注電影的細(xì)節(jié)、人物的英語發(fā)音等。以此培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的觀察、發(fā)現(xiàn)能力,還可以培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的語感。同時,教師也可以為學(xué)生推薦一些好聽的英文歌曲,以激發(fā)學(xué)生對英語學(xué)習(xí)的熱情,培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的聽力。又如,教師可以邀請外教老師、外國朋友到教室與學(xué)生進(jìn)行互動。以此,為學(xué)生提供真實的口語交際環(huán)境,有助于促進(jìn)學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的全面提升。
參考文獻(xiàn):
[1]葛春萍,王守仁.跨文化交際能力培養(yǎng)與大學(xué)英語教學(xué)[J].外語與外語教學(xué),2016,02:79-86+146.
篇9
【關(guān)鍵詞】原型理論 文化交際
原型型理論概述
對原型理論的研究是從顏色范疇開始的。(趙艷芳,2001:59) Berlin和kay 調(diào)查了98種語言。并以說20種各自不同語言的人作為實驗對象,發(fā)現(xiàn)了焦點色,而Rosch則發(fā)現(xiàn)原型具有普遍意義,Rosch在這一研究中曾把多個形態(tài)各異的四邊形放在一起讓人們從中選擇最符合它們心目中最理想的那個四邊形,大多數(shù)人選擇把正方形作為最符合它們認(rèn)知的四邊形,當(dāng)然也有一部分人會把其它四邊形作為其理想認(rèn)知。
學(xué)習(xí)者作出怎樣的選擇則受社會情境因素如文化習(xí)俗、歷史淵源、政治、地理特征等,語言情境因素如語音、語調(diào),音高、音重、中介語等。和時間因素即外語習(xí)得者學(xué)習(xí)時間點的長短的影響。而這些因素又如何與我們的認(rèn)知原型產(chǎn)生關(guān)聯(lián)的呢?下面我們將詳細(xì)討論。
一、社會情境因素下原型對跨文化交際的影響
每個國家都有其主流的與人打交道的方式,雖方式各異甚至有時天差地別但他們都認(rèn)為他們與人交流的方式是最合理的,這是因為每個國家的認(rèn)知原型是不同的,其價值觀也有差異,這種差異是與個人所處國家的文化,政治,經(jīng)濟(jì)等有所差別造成的,而這種認(rèn)知上的差異則是讓我們產(chǎn)生摩擦,誤會,甚至兵戈相見的重要原因。
英國人的保守是出了名的,他們很少談及自己的隱私,說話也頗為謹(jǐn)慎,舉止言行比較紳士,美國就有很大不同,他們崇尚自由,這個國家的歷史就是一部為了爭取自由而浴血奮戰(zhàn)的恢弘篇章,他們的歷史賦予了他們熱忱,而受孔孟文化影響的中國人則信守中庸之道,先人后己,講起話來常常比較隱晦每個民族的烙印都是經(jīng)過千錘百煉,大浪淘金的結(jié)果。洪堡說:”語言是世界觀”,又說,語言是一個民族人民的精神,每一個民族人民的精神就是其語言”。所以他們的交流方式并非非黑即白,所以我們在學(xué)習(xí)英語的過程中,切不可與其社會情境相分割。入鄉(xiāng)隨俗這一成語,在我們學(xué)習(xí)語言的過程中仍有舉足輕重地位。只有把語言放在其社會情境當(dāng)中,做到相互理解,方能做到知己知彼,才能做到和諧相處。
二、語言情境因素下原型對跨文化交際的影響
社會語言學(xué)模型認(rèn)為在語言情境中,另一種語言形式的出現(xiàn)可能引起說話者傾向于選擇其中一個語言變體形式。就這點而言,要如何在兩者之中做出選擇取決于伴隨語言語言情境出現(xiàn)的因素。以英語為第一語言Grammar 1中,詞首位置的輔音發(fā)清輔音,而詞中和詞尾位置同一輔音一般不發(fā)清輔音,而在以葡萄牙語為第二語言的Grammar 2中,這種發(fā)音方式就會被遷移到他們的學(xué)習(xí)過程中。
中介語(Inter Language)是語言情境因素中最為重要的一個方面它是指在第二語言習(xí)得過程中,學(xué)習(xí)者通過一定的學(xué)習(xí)略,在目的語輸入的基礎(chǔ)所形成的一種既不同于第一語言也不同于目的語隨著學(xué)習(xí)的進(jìn)展向目的語逐漸過渡的動態(tài)的語言系統(tǒng)。中介語的的產(chǎn)出其主要原因是語言學(xué)習(xí)者基于對第一語言的認(rèn)知原型而形成的一種不規(guī)則的語言狀態(tài)。在詞匯意義習(xí)得過程中,二語學(xué)習(xí)者的構(gòu)建原型類似于 Larry Selinker 所說的“中介語理論”――部分地源于母語原型,通常情況下又不同于母語原型和目標(biāo)語原型,其終極目標(biāo)是與目標(biāo)語原型的高度匹配乃至完全重合。在這個動態(tài)的發(fā)展過程中,構(gòu)建原型處于不斷地調(diào)整之中。構(gòu)建原型與目標(biāo)語原型的匹配程度對附加意義的理解至關(guān)重要。
因此,我們首先要了解英語的認(rèn)知原型,并對我們熟悉的第一語言的認(rèn)知結(jié)構(gòu)加以分析,在這基礎(chǔ)上我們才能夠在最大程度上完成匹配度,才能更好的學(xué)習(xí)英語,才能更好地完成跨文化交際。一個英語學(xué)習(xí)者如果不能流暢地進(jìn)行表達(dá),那么他自然不能表達(dá)內(nèi)心的想法,更談不上從外界獲取知識和能量,融入一個他想要參與的世界,了解它的語言,不只是學(xué)會它的語言,則是走向它的第一步。
三、時間因素下原型對跨文化交際的影響
原型是不斷發(fā)展變化的,時間無時無刻不在流淌,在我們的空間內(nèi)它是最為永恒的東西。所以原型在你腦海里,無時無刻不與現(xiàn)實產(chǎn)生交互作用,你對語言的認(rèn)識也在產(chǎn)生著變化,當(dāng)客觀條件發(fā)生變化,比如Grammar 1 為中文的一個人童年就開始移居美國并在那呆了十多年,他的價值觀都要受到當(dāng)?shù)赜绊?,那么他的語言更不言而喻,這是因為脫離了第一語言的環(huán)境,他大部分的信息輸入都來自當(dāng)?shù)氐慕逃@種教育可以是來自學(xué)校的,也可以來自在當(dāng)?shù)赜蟹€(wěn)定收入的中產(chǎn)階級父母,或者是來自他當(dāng)?shù)氐耐姘?,長時間耳濡目染在語言的認(rèn)知上會逐漸偏離第一語言并更加傾向于英語。當(dāng)然隨著時間的變化,他有可能在那有了自己的子孫后代,那么他的后代對第一語言的認(rèn)知就更加不復(fù)存在,其原型也只剩下對英語的認(rèn)知。
四、結(jié)語
綜上述可知,只有我們能夠真正找到影響中英文化交際的因素,才能夠做到趨利避害,實現(xiàn)真正的中英跨文化交際,我們要實現(xiàn)跨文化交際需要我們在英語教學(xué)當(dāng)中多加用心,注意總結(jié)。才能夠讓我們在跨文化交際中占據(jù)有利位置。
參考文獻(xiàn):
篇10
[關(guān)鍵詞]涉外導(dǎo)游人才 跨文化交際能力 大學(xué)英語教學(xué)
[作者簡介]周少蓉(1971- ),女,湖南永州人,桂林旅游高等??茖W(xué)校導(dǎo)游系,講師,碩士,研究方向為旅游英語教學(xué)和旅游英語翻譯。(廣西 桂林 541006)
[中圖分類號]G642 [文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)識碼]A [文章編號]1004-3985(2014)06-0117-02
涉外導(dǎo)游是指從事國際游客入境服務(wù)和中國游客出境服務(wù)的導(dǎo)游人員,主要包括接待國外游客的“全程陪同導(dǎo)游”“地方陪同導(dǎo)游”以及在景區(qū)從事外文講解工作的“景區(qū)講解員”,還包括帶領(lǐng)中國團(tuán)隊出境旅游的“領(lǐng)隊人員”。涉外導(dǎo)游從事的是一種跨文化交際活動,所接觸的客人來自不同的文化,有著不同的教育背景、價值觀念以及思維和行為模式等。如果涉外導(dǎo)游缺乏跨文化意識,就很可能引起“文化沖突”。因此,跨文化交際能力是此類人才應(yīng)具備的重要素質(zhì)。我國高校是高素質(zhì)涉外導(dǎo)游人才的培養(yǎng)基地。然而,由于各種因素的影響,高校階段涉外導(dǎo)游人才的跨文化交際能力并不令人滿意。
一、現(xiàn)代旅游市場需要具有跨文化交際能力的涉外導(dǎo)游人才
近年來,我國出入境旅游市場發(fā)展迅速。據(jù)世界旅游組織預(yù)測,2020年中國將成為世界上第一大旅游客源國和第四大旅游目的國。為進(jìn)一步提升旅游業(yè)的國際競爭力,我國正尋求與世界旅游市場全面接軌,實現(xiàn)旅游業(yè)的國際化。旅游業(yè)的國際競爭力不僅取決于目的國是否有一流的旅游環(huán)境,更取決于其是否有一大批高素質(zhì)的涉外導(dǎo)游?,F(xiàn)代社會人們的旅游觀念發(fā)生了很大的變化,人們到異地旅游,除了觀光之外,更渴望了解當(dāng)?shù)氐莫毺匚幕?。涉外?dǎo)游作為旅游文化的使者,在傳播我國民族文化和促進(jìn)中外文化交流方面起著非常重要的作用。所以,一名真正適應(yīng)市場需求的涉外導(dǎo)游人才除應(yīng)具備導(dǎo)游人員的基本素質(zhì)外,還應(yīng)具有過硬的英語語言能力和良好的中西方文化修養(yǎng)。
二、我國高校涉外導(dǎo)游人才跨文化交際能力的現(xiàn)狀分析
跨文化交際是指同有著不同文化背景的人從事交際的過程。跨文化交際能力是指人們在跨文化交際情境中可以有效實現(xiàn)其交際目的的能力。要成功地在跨文化交際情境中實現(xiàn)交際目的,人們需要理解和尊重異域文化,能從異域文化的角度去看待他方的行為,同時對自己的言行作相應(yīng)調(diào)整。
隨著社會的不斷發(fā)展與進(jìn)步,我國在科技、經(jīng)濟(jì)、文化、教育等各領(lǐng)域都日趨國際化,個人與國際交往也日益頻繁,“跨文化交際能力的培養(yǎng)”正成為社會、尤其是英語教育界的一個熱門話題。一般來說,高校階段大學(xué)生的跨文化意識可以通過多種途徑獲得,例如通過有關(guān)西方文化知識的課程(主要是英語專業(yè)的大學(xué)生)和大學(xué)英語課程的學(xué)習(xí),通過閱讀外國文學(xué)作品以及外文報紙雜志、觀看外國影視作品和有意識地接觸外國人,等等。然而,我國高校大學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的現(xiàn)狀并不令人滿意,作為外語類復(fù)合型人才的涉外導(dǎo)游人才的跨文化交際能力同樣也令人擔(dān)憂。不少涉外導(dǎo)游專業(yè)的學(xué)生缺乏必要的跨文化意識,對自己民族文化和異國文化的異同缺乏了解,以為只要掌握基本的語言技能就可以成功地實現(xiàn)跨文化交際目的了。這種現(xiàn)狀主要是由以下原因造成的:
(一)大學(xué)生的人文素質(zhì)的缺失
現(xiàn)代大學(xué)生對中國傳統(tǒng)文化的精髓缺乏應(yīng)有的理解,對民族文化缺乏認(rèn)同感和歸屬感;在人格修養(yǎng)、審美情趣、個性和創(chuàng)新能力方面的現(xiàn)狀都不令人滿意。這一方面是由于社會大環(huán)境的影響,另一方面是由于不少高校對學(xué)生的人文教育還不夠重視。
(二)涉外導(dǎo)游人才的培養(yǎng)沒得到社會的足夠重視
長期以來,導(dǎo)游學(xué)沒有獨立的學(xué)科地位,大多數(shù)本科院校都沒有開設(shè)導(dǎo)游專業(yè),涉外導(dǎo)游人才的培養(yǎng)主要通過英語專業(yè)或旅游管理專業(yè)來完成。然而,這些專業(yè)的課程設(shè)置都沒能有針對性地培養(yǎng)涉外導(dǎo)游人才所應(yīng)具備的跨文化交際能力。雖然近年來有的旅游院校已開設(shè)有導(dǎo)游專業(yè)以培養(yǎng)專門的涉外導(dǎo)游人才,但由于涉外導(dǎo)游專業(yè)的課程覆蓋英語和導(dǎo)游專業(yè),所以不可能像英語專業(yè)那樣開設(shè)有一系列的異域文化課程幫助學(xué)生提高的跨文化意識;同時,由于導(dǎo)游專業(yè)還較為年輕,對于如何通過相應(yīng)課程設(shè)置和改變?nèi)瞬排囵B(yǎng)模式來提高學(xué)生的跨文化交際能力還處于探索階段,需要不斷完善。
(三)傳統(tǒng)英語授課模式的影響
對涉外導(dǎo)游專業(yè)的學(xué)生而言,英語類課程在培養(yǎng)他們的跨文化交際能力方面起著很重要的作用。近年來,我國大學(xué)英語教材在內(nèi)容和形式上都有了較大變化。大學(xué)英語教材的內(nèi)容具有時代性、趣味性和可思性,除了突出學(xué)生語言技能的培養(yǎng),還注重學(xué)生人文素養(yǎng)的培養(yǎng)。但是,由于受傳統(tǒng)應(yīng)試教育和教師自身素質(zhì)的影響,不少教師在授課時只注重培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的語言技能,而忽略了文化知識的輸入。這樣一來,學(xué)生的跨文化意識不能得到有效提高。
三、英語教學(xué)是提高涉外導(dǎo)游人才跨文化交際能力的重要途徑
(一)大學(xué)英語教學(xué)和跨文化交際能力的培養(yǎng)
最新的《大學(xué)英語課程教學(xué)要求》強調(diào),“大學(xué)英語課程不僅是一門語言基礎(chǔ)知識課程,也是拓寬知識了解世界文化的素質(zhì)教育課程。”在大學(xué)階段,學(xué)生通過英語學(xué)習(xí),不僅應(yīng)具備較扎實的英語語言技能,還應(yīng)具有較寬的知識面、較高的人文素養(yǎng)和較強的跨文化交際能力。
語言是文化的載體,體現(xiàn)著人們在價值觀念、審美方式、思維方式和行為模式等方面的特點;而且語言的表層結(jié)構(gòu)和使用方式也和文化有著密切的關(guān)系。不同國家、民族之間的文化存在著巨大差異,要想成功掌握一門語言,并能在跨文化交際情境中得體地使用,除了掌握必要的語法知識,還要有意識地去理解和接受該語言所蘊含的文化。英語教學(xué)是提高涉外導(dǎo)游人才跨文化交際能力的重要途徑。所以在教學(xué)過程中,英語教師不僅要注重講授語言知識,培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的語言技能,還要以課文內(nèi)容為媒介,加強民族文化和異域文化背景知識的傳授,以加深學(xué)生對民族文化和異域文化的理解與認(rèn)識,從而形成跨文化交際意識。當(dāng)然,要真正地改變“只注重語言知識傳授的”傳統(tǒng)的英語教學(xué)方法不是一件易事,學(xué)校有必要建立一定的考核機制,來督促老師進(jìn)行英語教學(xué)模式的改革;更為重要的是,學(xué)校要激勵英語教師提高自身的跨文化交際能力,并要為教師的再次深造提供有力的支持。
(二)通過大學(xué)英語教學(xué)提高涉外導(dǎo)游人才的跨文化交際能力的策略
1.教師應(yīng)注重培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的語篇意識。語言的一大功能是幫助人們實現(xiàn)交際目的,語言功能在語言表層結(jié)構(gòu)中的實現(xiàn)是與社會文化環(huán)境緊密相連的。特定文化思維模式在言語表現(xiàn)形式上的特點可以通過篇章分析獲得。在同一交際情境,不同文化的人為實現(xiàn)同一交際目的采用的篇章形式是不同的。長期以來,我國的英語教師較注重對文章中語法結(jié)構(gòu)的講解,而忽略了對學(xué)生語篇意識的培養(yǎng)。這樣一來,學(xué)生的言語表達(dá)盡管符合語法規(guī)范,卻不符合異域文化的篇章結(jié)構(gòu)特點,不容易為對方理解和接受。所以教師在分析文章時,要有意識地培養(yǎng)學(xué)生對不同專業(yè)篇章整體結(jié)構(gòu)的了解,尤其是對旅游類篇章結(jié)構(gòu)和行文風(fēng)格的認(rèn)識,這樣可以使學(xué)生在言語表達(dá)上更符合異域文化的審美習(xí)慣,容易為對方理解和接受。
2.教師應(yīng)注重提高學(xué)生的口譯能力。涉外導(dǎo)游的一個主要職責(zé)是向外國游客譯介中國特有的文化,包括中國的傳統(tǒng)文化、民俗風(fēng)情,以及中國現(xiàn)代社會的經(jīng)濟(jì)建設(shè)、社會發(fā)展和人們的生活狀況等各方面的情況。涉外導(dǎo)游譯介的過程就是將現(xiàn)有的中文信息翻譯成目的語言信息的過程,所以他們需要較強的口頭翻譯能力??谧g是一種集語言信息、預(yù)警信息、文化信息、心理信息等于一體的綜合交際活動,口譯能力的形成需要經(jīng)過不斷的練習(xí)。英語教師可以在教材內(nèi)容和相關(guān)口譯教材有機結(jié)合的基礎(chǔ)上,設(shè)置口譯練習(xí)題,并通過介紹相關(guān)的口譯技巧,有步驟地提高學(xué)生的口譯能力??谧g練習(xí)題應(yīng)該與涉外導(dǎo)游以后要譯介的內(nèi)容息息相關(guān),要廣泛地涉及社會文化生活的各方面。
3.教師應(yīng)注重文化知識導(dǎo)入。大學(xué)英語教材中豐富的中西方文化背景知識為我們進(jìn)行跨文化交際意識的培養(yǎng)提供了很好的素材,英語教師應(yīng)該有意識地把文化知識滲透到具體的教學(xué)中,培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的跨文化意識。在跨文化交際研究中,許多學(xué)者把增強對他方文化和己方文化之間異同的敏感性作為培養(yǎng)跨文化交際能力的一個重要組成部分。所以教師既要讓學(xué)生了解西方人的風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣和生活方式,使學(xué)生理解和接受異國的文化;也要讓學(xué)生了解中國民族文化,增強他們對民族文化的自豪感和歸屬感;同時,還要有意識地引導(dǎo)學(xué)生進(jìn)行文化的對比,加深對他們民族文化的理解,提高自身的文化素養(yǎng)。
例如,教師可以通過引導(dǎo)學(xué)生了解并討論中西方在飲食、社會禮儀、節(jié)日等方面的異同點,讓學(xué)生學(xué)會理解、尊重異國文化,并讓他們在了解異國文化的同時,加深對自己民族文化的理解。還可以通過主題討論、課堂提問和作文等方式,引導(dǎo)學(xué)生對社會熱點問題展開討論,提出自己的看法。這樣可以使學(xué)生更多地了解社會,了解人生;同時也有助于培養(yǎng)涉外導(dǎo)游人才應(yīng)具備的品行和素質(zhì),即健康的人格、社會責(zé)任感和國際視野。
教師還可以利用現(xiàn)代教育技術(shù)和多媒體教學(xué)手段制作出精美的課件,讓學(xué)生能夠直觀地感受到異域文化。或是讓學(xué)生觀看一些英語原聲影視作品,讓學(xué)生更多地了解異域文化,學(xué)到更多的社會文化知識。
4.指導(dǎo)學(xué)生閱讀英美文學(xué)作品、報紙雜志等。文學(xué)作品以藝術(shù)的形式再現(xiàn)了人們在一定歷史時期的社會文化生活,報紙雜志則更多地反映了當(dāng)代社會人們的生活狀況和文化模式。所以,閱讀英美文學(xué)作品和報紙雜志是間接體驗西方文化的一種很好的方式。教師應(yīng)引導(dǎo)學(xué)生去閱讀一些經(jīng)典的英美文學(xué)作品和時尚報紙雜志,讓他們更多地理解西方歷史文化和社會生活。
為提高涉外導(dǎo)游人才的跨文化交際能力,大學(xué)英語教師應(yīng)告別傳統(tǒng)的授課模式,不僅要注重培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的語言技能,還要注重提高學(xué)生的人文素質(zhì)。這對所有英語教師來說都是一種挑戰(zhàn),他們需要不斷加強自身的文化素養(yǎng)和學(xué)習(xí)跨文化交際學(xué)的相關(guān)知識,這樣一來,才可以有針對性地進(jìn)行文化輸入,從而有效地提高涉外導(dǎo)游人才的跨文化交際能力。
[參考文獻(xiàn)]
[1]陳乾康,袁靜.論涉外導(dǎo)游人才的培養(yǎng)[J].四川師范大學(xué)學(xué)報,2005(5).
[2]鄧炎昌.語言與文化[M].北京:外語教學(xué)與研究出版社,1989.
[3]高永晨.大學(xué)生跨文化交際能力的現(xiàn)狀調(diào)查和對策研究[J].外語與外語教學(xué),2006(1).
[4]教育部高等教育司.大學(xué)英語課程教學(xué)要求(試行)[M].上海:上海外語教育出版社,2004.
[5]賈玉新.跨文化交際學(xué)[M].上海:上海外語教育出版社,1997.
[6]梁鏞.跨文化的外語教學(xué)與研究[M].上海:上海外語教育出版社,2001.
[7]梅德明.英語口譯教程[M].北京:高等教育出版社,2003.
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