英语论文onthenecessityofleadingculturalknowledgeinenglishteaching.docx

英语论文onthenecessityofleadingculturalknowledgeinenglishteaching.docx

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英语论文onthenecessityofleadingculturalknowledgeinenglishteaching

英语论文on_the_necessity_of_leading_cultural_knowledge_in_english_teaching

英语论文on_the_necessity_of_leading_cultural_knowledge_in_english_teaching语言学课程论文西北师大知行学院外语系英语专业07级（6）班秦文玉OntheNecessityofLeadingCulturalKnowledgeinEnglishTeachingQinWenyuAbstract:

ThispaperistodiscussaboutthenecessityofleadingculturalknowledgeinEnglishteaching.ThisarticleelaboratesemphaticallytheimportanceofculturalteachinginEnglishteachingandgivesasetofclassroom-teachingmethodsforthepurposeofenhancingthecross-culturalconsciousnessofstudents.Anditintroducessomemethodstoimprovethecross-culturalconsciousnessandthesensitivityofstudentsinEnglishteaching,andthemethodstoimprovethecross-culturalcommunicativeabilityfromdifferentchannels.Atthesametime,thisarticlediscussessomeexistingproblemsandthecountersolutionsintheprocessofEnglishculturalteaching.Keywords:

culturebackgroundknowledge,Englishteaching,cross-culturecommunication1.INTRODUCTIONLanguageisapartofcultureandaffectsculture.Somesociologiststhinkthatlanguageisthefoundationofculture.Seeingfromanotheraspect,languageisaffectedbyculture.Inaword,languageandcultureaffecteachother;ifsomeonewouldliketocomprehendalanguage,hemustknowofcultureofthatlanguagefirst,atthesametime,ifhewantstocomprehendculture,learningthelanguageisthefirststep.Forlearningaforeignlanguage,personsshouldnotonlymasterpronunciation,grammars,vocabularyandidioms,butalsoknowhowtousethelanguagetoexpresstheirthoughts,habits,andaction.WithEnglishasaninternationallanguage,inChina,moreandmorepeoplelearnEnglish,butthemainpurposeofmanypeoplelearningEnglishseemstobecommunicatedinordertoovercomelanguagebarriers.However,comparedtolanguagebarriers,culturalbarriersaremoredifficultincrossculturalexchange,whichinturnisoftenneglectedbylanguagelearners.Infact,therearethreemajorelementsofEnglish,basicknowledgeoflanguage,languageskillsapplicationandculturalbackgroundknowledge,whicharecomplementaryandcloselyrelatedtotheteachingofEnglish,anditisnotonlyaprofessor,butalsoshouldincludethedisseminationofculturalknowledge.TogetstudentstolearnEnglish,threeareindispensable.Therefore,howtoenhancethesensitivityofstudentsbetweenChineseandforeignlanguageandhowtoenhancetheircross-culturalcommunicativeabilityareworthofthinkingoverbytheEnglisheducators.2.PROBLEMSAROUSEDBYNEGLECTOFCULTUREBACKGROUNDKNOWLEDGE2.1ThanksandGratitudeGenerallyspeaking,Chinesepeoplerarelyuseamongfamilymembers,“Thankyou.“Ifused,soundwillbestrange,orthemutualrelationswithdistance.IntheEnglish-speakingcountries“Thankyou.“isusedforalloccasions,eventhoughparentsandchildren,brothersandsistersarenoexception.Sendabottleofdrink,prepareatablemeal,theotherwillsay“Thankyou.“Inthepublicplaces,nomatterwhohelpsyou,youhavetosay“Thankyou.“,whichisthemostbasiccourtesy.Whensomebodyasksyouwouldyoulikesomethingtoeat/drink?

weusuallyaccustomedtopoliteaboutit,replied:

“No“,“Donotbother“andsoon.AccordingtotheEnglishcountries’habits,ifyouwant,youdonotdecline,say“Yes,please.“Ifyouwant,justsay“No,thanks.“ThisfullydemonstratestheChinesepeoplemagnanimoussubtleandstraightforwardEnglish-speakingcountriesofdifferentstyles.2.2PrivacyChinesepeopleaskaboutage,maritalstatus,incomeatthefirstmeettoexpresscareyou,butEnglishpeoplearemoredisgustedwiththis,theythinkthesearerelatedtopersonalprivacy.Intheforeigncountriespeoplewantstoappearfullofenergy,eternalyouthintheeachother’seyes,theiractualagesareoftensecretstotheotherpeople,especiallywomen.AnotherexampleistheChinesepeoplecareaboutthe“Whereareyougoing?

“and“Whatareyoudoing?

“,whicharespiedontheothers’privacyandmonitoredotherpeopleswordswithouthearingpopularintheEnglishcountry.2.3GreetingChinesepeopleoftenask:

“Haveyouhadyourdinner?

”inthedailylife.IfyouaskEnglishpeoplelikethis,theyoftenthinkyouwouldliketoinvitethemtodinner.Intheforeigncountriesusuallygreetingweather,health,transport,sportsandhobbiesforthetopic.3.THENECESSITYOFLEADINGCULTUREKNOWLEDGE3.1CultureDifferencesAreBarrierstoCross-culturalCommunicationTheprocessofmodernizationhasacceleratedtheflowofmoralandmaterialproducts,andthevariousnationalitiesintoacommon“GlobalVillage“,thecross-culturalcommunicationaseachnationanintegralpartoflife.However,culturaldifferencesarebarrierstothecross-culturecommunication,overcomecommunicationbarrierscausedbyculturaldifferenceshasbecomeacommonproblemfacingtheworld.3.2TheUseofLanguageEducationIstoAchievetheKeyLanguageofCommunicationIsInseparablefromSocialandCulturalKnowledgeAppropriatenessCulturallinguisticresearchshowsthatthelanguageisstoredinallthesocialexperience,toreflectallthecharacteristicsofthenationalculture.Therefore,theapplicationoflanguageandlanguagefromtheculturecannotexist.Foreignlanguageteachingshouldnotonlyintroducethelanguageknowledge,butshouldextendthisstudyintothecultureofteachingandtrainingcarriedoutinthebackground,thedevelopmentofcommunicativecompetenceistheultimategoalofEnglishteaching.4.THECONTENTSOFENGLISHCULTURETEACHINGWhenteachersleadculturalbackgroundknowledgeinclass,tochoosewhichkindsofculturecannotbeneglected.4.1CustomandSocialPolitenessofEnglishCultureCulturalcustomscontainthelifeways,thethinkinghabits,andthevaluethoughtsofEnglish-speakingcountries.Socialpolitenessincludesgreeting,regards,expressingthanks,makingapologies,sayinggoodbyes,givingtelephonecalls,requests,invitationsandsoon.Englishlearnersshouldlearnsomestandardusageofwordsandlearnsomeforbiddensentencesinthedailylife.Thentheycancomprehendsomelanguagephenomenonhappeninginsomespecialoccasion.Forexample,whentheymeetwesterners,theywillnotask”haveyoueaten?

”4.2TheCulturalConnotationofVocabularyTheculturalconnotationofvocabularyreferstotheareaofwords,theemotioncolorofwordsandtheusageofidioms,theproverbsandtheusualphases（JeremyHarmer,1999：

52）.Thecultureinlanguagereflectsonthevocabularywhichcontainsmanywordshavingnationalcharacteristic.Forexample,“haveanewyear”“beginningofspring”andsoonareincludedinChineseonly,but“God”“hotdog”“cowboy”arecontainedinEnglishwhichdonotexistinChinese.4.3TheSituationoftheSocietyItcontainspolitics,economy,history,literature,religiousphilosophyandmodernsocialsituationofEnglish–speakingcountries.Forexample,knowingtheculturalbackgroundknowledgeofcountryandsocietyofAmerica,Englishlearnerscancomprehendthetruemeaningof“donkey”and“elephant”inelection.4.4Non-VerbalExpressionNon-verbalexpressionwaysincludeshandgestures,figure,clothinganddifferentideasoftimeorspaceandsoon.BodylanguageandhandsignallanguageareverycommoninEnglish-speakingcountries;Englishlearnersshouldpaymuchattentiontothese.Forexample,inEnglishandAmericanculture,“V”standsforvictory,puttingupthumbshowsadmiration,butinothercountriessuchasinItaly,thiskindofactionshowsdisdain.Becauseofdifferentcultures,theystandfordifferentmeanings.5.TRYTOINCORPORATECULTUREBACKGROUNDKNOWLEDGEINTOTHECLASSROOMBYMEANSOFCOSIDERINGSOMEMETHODSAswe’veseenthenecessityandimportanceoftheroleculturalknowledgeplaysintheteachingofmiddleschoolEnglish,teachersshouldbyallmeanshelpstudentsbeequippedwithculturalawareness.TeachersshouldmakestudentsawarethattherearenosuperiororinferiorculturesandthattherearedifferencesamongpeoplewithincultureofEnglish-speakingcountries,aswell.Teachersarenotintheclassroomtoconfirmtheprejudicesoftheirstudentsnortoattacktheirdeeplyheldconvictions（林铮，1998：

230）.Theirtaskistostimulatestudents’interestintheEnglishculture,andhelpestablishEnglishclassroomnotsomuchasaplacethelanguageistaught,butasoneopportunitiesforlearningareprovidedthroughtheinteractionsthattakeplacebetweentheparticipants（Ellis,1992:

171）.Theteachingofbackgroundknowledgemustbecommensuratewiththedynamicaspectsofculture.AsLessard-Clouston（1997:

26）notes:

StudentswillindeedtodevelopknowledgeofandabouttheL2orFLculture,butthisreceptiveaspectofculturecompetenceisnotsufficient.Learnerswillalsoneedtomastersomeskillsinculturallyappropriatecommunicationandbehaviorforthetargetculture…Culturalawarenessisnecessaryifstudentsaretodevelopanunderstandingofthedynamicnatureofthetargetculture,aswellastheirownculture.StudentsinthemiddleschoolshouldbegiventheopportunitytoenjoycertaininformationandactivitiesthatarepartofChinesetradition,suchasnationalspots,socialfestivities,orsongs,beforeteachershelpthemexplorethoseoftheEnglishculture.Here,Iwillfocusonthelatter.I’dproposethefollowingmethods.5.1TeachingMaterialAproportionofEnglishmaterialshouldbeused.Fromthefirstday,teachersareexpectedtobringintheclassposters,pictures,maps,andotherrealiainordertohelpstudentsdevelopamentalimageofthewesternculture.5.2ComparisonThroughexposuretothewesterncivilization,studentsinescapablydrawsomecomparisons