中西文化差异与英语文化教育.docx

中西文化差异与英语文化教育.docx

《中西文化差异与英语文化教育.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《中西文化差异与英语文化教育.docx（10页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

中西文化差异与英语文化教育

【标题】中西文化差异与英语文化教育

【作者】段风金

【关键词】文化差异；干扰；文化教育

【指导老师】刘敏文晓莉

【专业】英语

【正文】

I.Introduction

Languageisasocialproduct,whichisthecrystallizationofhistoryandculture.Itcomprisesasuccessivesocialconsciousness,historyandculture,customsofanationandothersocialaspectsofallhumancharacteristics.Becauseofthedifferentculturalbackgroundandculturaltraditions,Chinaandwesterncountriesalsohavesomeculturaldifferencesinwaysofthinking,values,codeofconductandwayoflife.Languageisthecarrierofculture.Vocabularyistheenrichmentofculturalinformationandanimportantcomponentoflanguage.Itreflectsculturaldevelopmentandchange,andisalsoadirectreflectionofculturaldifferences.

AsaresultofChinesehistoryofmorethan2,000yearsoffeudalism,thedeep-rootedConfucianismwhichhadaprofoundandlastinginfluenceinChinahascometooccupythedominantposition.Chinesepeoplealwaysconsiderself-depreciationtobeaclassicalwaytoassociatewithpeople,becausethismannerofmoderationisabasictenetofChinesecustom. “Moderation”istheidealpursuedbyConfucianism.Thewaysoftheworldmustbebasedonmoralconcepts，charity,loyalty,courtesy,wisdomandhonesty，asaguideofbehaviorforeveryone.1Thebehavioressentialtogettingalongwithothersmustconsidermildness,kindness,respectfulness,thriftinessandmodesty.Apersonmustbeproudtobemodest,asopposedtocelebratingself-performance.Therefore,theChineseculturereflectstheculturalidentityofcommunitywhichistonotallowpersonalinteresttooverridecollectiveinterest. 

TheformationoftheconceptofvaluesinwesterncountriescanbetracedbacktoatleasttheRenaissance.TheguidingideologyoftheRenaissanceishumanism;thatistoadvocatetheindividuals,topromotethesupremacyofindividualismandtodevelopself-performance.Thevalueofmodestyinwesterncultureisignored.Peopleworshippedinlifeare “thestrongandheroes”.Thestrongcanbeappreciated,buttheweakareonlytobeeliminatedthroughcompetition.Therefore,thewesternculturereflectstheculturalidentityoftheindividual,whichadvocatespersonalintereststooverridecollectiveinterests.

ThatiswhywesternlanguagecontainscertainwordswithadifferentmeaningfromChineselanguage.Justtake “ambition”forexample;whichitselfisnotonlyacommendatorytermbutalsoaderogatoryterm.Forinstance,Chineseusesitsderogatorysensemeaningambitiousdesigns,buttheAmericanandBritishuseitscommendatorysensemeaningloftyaspiration.Anotherexampleis “aggressive”.Chinesepeopleusedittodescribesomeone “provocative”or “agonistic”,whileonthecontrary,Americansuseittodescribesomeone “progressive,forward-lookingandwithapioneeringspirit”.2

Ourcountry’scultureofcollectivismemphasizestheimportanceoffamilyrelationship,whichisregardedasacomponentofthesociety.Butwesterncountriesadvocateself-respectandindependence.Chineseemphasizetraditionalrelationshipsofthemonarchandhissubjects,fatherandsons,andhasstricthierarchy.ButinBritainandtheUnitedStates,thestatusisequalbetweenolderandyoungerpeopleandtheydonotcareabouttheboundariesofyouthandoldage,suchthattheygetalongwitheachotherwelljustlikefriends.

Chinaalwaysupholdsthetraditionalconceptsof “FourGenerationsunderthesameroof”and “familyreunion”.Sinceancienttimes,wehavetheoldadage, “Iftheparentsarealive,wewillnothavealongjourney”.3ButinBritainandtheUnitedStates,the18-year-oldchildstilllivingathomeanddependingontheirparentsisincredibleandratherlookeddownon.Theymustrelyontheirowntobeindependent.Similarly,parentsarenottobeaburdentotheirdescendants;afterlosingcertainlivingabilities,theyoftenliveinhomesfortheelderlywhicharesupportedbythesociety.

Differentculturesalsoleadtodifferentconceptsofvalue.Chinesepeoplealwayshavethetraditionofrespectingtheelderly.SoinChina,theword “old”meansrespect.Forexample, “LaoZuZong” （ancestors）, “LaoYeYe” （oldman）, “LaoXianSheng” （oldman）andsoon.TheChinesephrases “LaoZhang” （anoldmanwhosefamilynameisZhang）, “LaoWang” （anoldmanwhosefamilynameisWang）arefilledwithrespectandkindness. “ZhangLao”isanoldmanwhosefamilynameisZhang.Butthereisadifference; “LaoZhang”isanordinaryoldperson, “ZhangLao”mayhavebeenaleaderinthepast. “WangLao” （thesameasabove）isfilledwithevenmorerespectandadorationthantherespectful “LaoWang”.Chinesepeopletendtobeproudofage.Theolder,themoreveneratedandthemorerespected.JustsayingasmuchisanoldChineseproverb, “Thegingerisoldspicy”.Inourpointofview,theembodimentofthewisdomoftheelderlyisalsoasymbolofprestige.However,fewwesternerswouldliketotakeadvantageoftheirseniorityoroldage,andsay, “old”.Intheirview,theoldisuseless,andtiedwiththemeaningof “outofdate”and “oldelephant”.Westernersdonotwanttosayoldthemselvesandtotakeadvantageoftheirseniorityoroldage.InWesternculture,age,astheylookattheprivacyoftheindividual,isextremelyimportant.Especiallywomendonotwanttobeaskedabouttheirage.Eveniftheywerewillingtotalkabouttheirage,andwantedotherpeopletoguess,usually,theirrealpurposeistoexpectotherstocomplimentthemaslookingyoungerthantheirrealage.ArelatedexampleintheUnitedStatesandBritainisthedeeptabooabouttheword “fat”,becauseitisdepressingandunpleasanttomostpeople.Herethereismentioningofthefatonmeat,whichwilllikelybeconsideredtobeworthlesswastedump.InChinaifapersonweretoseeachildandsay “PangDuDu”or “PangHuHu”thatwouldmeanlikingthechild.Tosay “fat”toamanmeanstobecomerich;tosay “fat”toawomanmeansplump.Alloftheabovehavethemeaningofcompliment.Indailylifeandwork,weoftenhearpeoplesaysomethingisapieceof “FeiRou” （fat）orworkthatisa “FeiQue” （anoccupation）.Theimplicationisthatsomethingwhichishardtocomebyorajobwhichisadesirableposition.Chinesepeoplenotonlylike “fat”,butevenmakepraiseofit.4 

Thesamethings,duetodifferentculturalbackgrounds,areexpressedwithwidelydivergentviews.Chineseholdcontemptfordogs,thusChinesehasphrasessuchas “GouTuiZi” （henchman）, “GouDongXi” （todescribeamanwhoislikeanimalsbutnothuman）, “LaiPiGou” （todescribesomeonewhoisdependent）, “GouJiTiaoQiang” （Someoneinacrisiscircumstance）, “GouZhangRenShi” （tobullyothersbecauseofone’smaster’spowerandposition）, “GouYanKanRenDi” （tolookdownonpeoplelikeasnob）etc.InWesterncountries,peoplewillappreciatedogs’courageandloyalty;thereisfrequentpraiseforthedogandpeoplecomparementodogs.Forexample, “Aluckydog” （aluckyperson）, “loveme,lovemydog” （Iflovingsomeone,wemustlovehiminallthings）, “Everydoghashisday” （Everyonehasachanceofsuccess）.

Englishisalanguageandlanguageisanimportantcomponentofculture;cultureaffectsthechangesanddevelopmentoflanguage,andpermeatesthelanguagecustoms.It’simpossibleforustostudyEnglishwellifweseparateculturefromEnglishlearning,andseparateourselvesfromourownculture.TobeabletohandleEnglishinformation,andtotransformthetwokindsoflanguages,thatiswhywelearnalanguage.Ifwecouldnotachievethetransformation,foreignlanguageshouldbeuseless.InChinaorEnglish-speakingcountries,peoplearelivingindifferentculturalbackgrounds,sotheyhavegreatdifferencesinthecustoms,beliefs,theirwaysofthinking,morality,valuesandsoon.Languageisareflectionoftheobjectiveworld,sothedifferencebetweenChineseandWesternculturewillinevitablyresultinthedifferenceoflinguisticphenomenoninword’smeaning,sentence’smeaning,association,andmetaphor,whichlargelyaffectedtheresultsofourstudyinthatlanguage.Forsecondarystudents,theirexposuretoEnglishisnotalongtimeandtheyknowonlyalittleaboutthecultureofEnglish-speakingcountries,whichpreventthemfromexpressingEnglishlanguageandunderstandingtheculturalcustoms.SoIthinkthatintroducingculturalbackgroundinEnglishteaching,comparingthesetwoculturalbackgroundsinextra-curricularactivities,andmasteringdifferentcustomshavegreateffectandcreatesmoothteaching.Itshouldbesaidthatculturaleducationisanimportantpartoflanguageteaching. 

Accordingtomyexperiencesandsomereferences,IonlyintroducesomebriefculturaldifferencesbetweenChinaandwesterncountries,andthentalkaboutafewinterferenceofChineseandwesternculturaldifferencesinEnglishLearning.AndatlastsupportsomeeffectivewaystoimproveEnglishteachinginthisessay. 

II.CulturalDifferencesbetweenChinaandWest

Fromtheanalysisofconceptsofvalueandmoralcriteria,socialrelations,socialceremony,andsocialcustoms,Westerncultureadvocatespersonalhonor,self-concentration,innovativespiritandindividualfreedom,butChinesecultureadvocatesmodesty,selflessdedication,moderation,unityandcooperation.Westernershavestrongaconsciousnessofequalityandhaveasimplefamilystructure.Theirnuclearfamilyisformedbyparentsandminorchildren.Onthecontrary,Chinesehaveastrongconceptofhierarchy;theirfamilystructureismorecomplexandthetraditionalhappyfamilyisfourgenerationslivingunderoneroof. 

Themisunderstandingofinformationwhichiscausedbyculturalbarriersisseenrepeatedlyinteaching.Becauseoflackingunderstandingoffor