浅谈英语教学中的文化意识(1)(2)
2013-09-15 01:30
导读：Some people who failed to achieve the effective intercourse communication also warned English learners that cultural learning is an important part of English learning. Many Chinese who intended to est
Some people who failed to achieve the effective intercourse communication also warned English learners that cultural learning is an important part of English learning. Many Chinese who intended to establish business ties with American businessmen were unsuccessful. That is because of their unawareness of different cultures of different countries. In China, dinner tables are always the place where businessmen do their business, they need to meet and eat again and again, then after several times’ talking in the meal tables, they will sign the contracts. Some people seem not to have the awareness of punctuality, they always delay their appointment, and the process of achieving the final negotiation is time-consuming. But for Americans, it is unbearable. Americans regard “time” as a tangible possession. The possession of time means people schedule most of their time and many of them will feel frustrated if that schedule is interrupted. In America, punctuality is also regarded important in most situations. A person’s character is judged by how punctual they are. They are considered dependable if they keep their appointments and on time. It is also important to meet deadlines. Americans are expected to have control over their time to accomplish the commitments they have made. So without understanding the culture of Americans’ attitudes toward time, Chinese are expected to act the same like they do for Chinese, how they can sign the profitable contracts.
The above examples show that lacking the knowledge in intercourse communication will hamper one’s success in one’s life or work. Culture learning is the crucial key to achieve the purpose of English teaching. Chinese students cannot learn English well without understanding English culture. In another word, they learn more about the culture of this language country, the more correctly they can use this language. [7]P.42 English teaching is the only way for most of Chinese students to be familiar with the culture and customs of English speaking countries. In order to achieve the final purpose of English teaching, adding cultural knowledge to their teaching activities is very necessary.
3. The Ways to Combine the Cultural Teaching with English Teaching
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The primary purpose of cultural teaching is to make students learn English faster and better. Therefore, what teachers should be concerned with the students’ English learning and acquisition? There are some ideas of the concrete purpose of cultural learning: (1) stimulating students’ curiosity and genial affection toward the English speaking countries and people who live in English speaking countries. (2) Making students realize that a man’s social position and other social characteristics (such as age, gender, social classes, religious belief, races and geographical position) will impact on their ways of speaking and thinking. (3) Surveying the knowledge to students that different situations and customs will greatly influence human being’s behaviors. (4) Making students understand that the differences of human being’s manners and speaking habits are decided by the society which they live in and cultural regulation. (5) Making students are capable of evaluating objectively of the knowledge that they learnt about the culture of English speaking countries and getting information from library and all sorts of Medias in order to foster the ability of analyzing the culture of English speaking countries.
The ways to teach cultural knowledge is various, so teachers should adopt much more vivid ones in order to raise the students’ sensitivity to the knowledge of culture and develop students’ cultural consciousness so as to make them be capable of absorbing and melt into the new cultural environments actively and initiatively. For example, the title of cultural teaching can be divided into concrete title and notional title. The items covered in the concrete title are simple facts and basic concepts, while the notional title can include more complicated message. The concrete title is mostly fit for a beginner, while the latter one is adopted by an advanced learner. When English learners study the western traditional festivals, as a beginner, they can start with the expressions of date, month, and years followed by the ways of celebration of natives. For advanced learners, they should learn the origin or historical changes of the festival, the function of this festival in their culture and some relevant information concerned with other similar festivals in this country. In teaching practice, there are mainly three ways:
（科教作文网http://zw.ΝsΕAc.com发布） 3.1 The Strengthening of comparing the differences between Chinese and Western culture
Penetrating the differences in the aspects of the form of address language, greeting, expressions of appreciation, modest, praise, or some materials related to the concerning concept of value into English teaching naturally. Take the expression of appreciation as an example. Generally speaking, “thank you” is seldom used in the members of a Chinese family. If people use it, others will feel uncomfortable or feel that there is distance in the correlation. But in an English nation, if a mother prepares a delicious meal for their family, other members will surely say “thank you” to her. In public situation, whatever others help us, people should say “thank you” which has been treated as a basic ritual. When others ask “would you like something to eat or drink?” Usually, a Chinese will be accustomed to be polite and say, “Do not bother” or “I don’t need any”. According to the habits of English nation, if they want, they will speak directly that “yes, pleases”. If they do not need, they will say, “no, thanks”. [8]P.63Although most of Chinese have realized the difference, they take it for granted. Therefore, teachers should point out that the different ways of expression are caused by the different cultures. Students who study abroad usually complain that American’s invitation for a meal is unreliable. Someone investigated this phenomenon, discover that it is because the foreign students do not understand American English rule, hearing an American say “We must get together soon”, he will think to be a formal invitation. Actually, it is a polite remark only. Generally speaking, the formal invitation includes time, place. For example, “Come over for dinner next Saturday night”, it is a formal invite. [9] P.75
These entire examples reflect that only control the structure of language is far more enough to communicate smoothly. The English teachers and students should strengthen the comparison of difference between Chinese and Western culture on the basic of pronounce, grammar, and vocabulary, or it is hard to communicate with others and may be make mistakes that obstruct the communication.
中国大学排名 3.2 The use of Advanced Facilities
Various advanced facilities can help students to experience the culture of English nations, so that students can be aware of the English nation’s history, art, and customs. The application of English movies, TV and video will give students direct experience for the usage of English in reality. Recommending some reading books with strong cultural consciousness so that the students can increase understanding of English culture, or inviting some people who are famous for their experience in living in English countries to make reports. Besides, organizing English clubs and English parties will also create the language environment which is good for students’ application of English. In teaching practice, teachers can organize the group discussion and roles playing in order to realize the purpose of practice of language. Thus, cultural knowledge can be gradually involved in English learning, and students will be alert to it when they come across them in study.
3.3 Teaching focusing on Students’ psychology
When the students learn English at the first time, on one hand, they are very excited to touch the new things, but on the other hand, they are worried that they cannot learn it very well. English teachers should observe students’ reaction toward English lessons, and give students courage in order to eliminate the obstacle of their English learning. At the same time, teachers can collect some pictures or information which is related to cultural knowledge to motivate students’ interests. On this basis, cultural teaching can also be carried out. Besides, teachers could conduct a survey which shows students’ interests. Some students are keen on computers games. Teachers should pass the massage to them that most of the computer are manufactured in those English-speaking countries. So the programmers and software are designed in English. If they want to be excellent game players, they should learn English first. In addition, teachers should introduce social situation to their English teaching. In the future, job vacancies are limited, while job-hunters will be more and more. So if they want to exist in such a competitive world. They should learn English very well, because English has been used so widely that if they can master it very well, they will never be unemployed. The teacher can also arrange some film-appreciating course to stir up students’ interesting in English. Because films differ from Literature works, they are more vivid and the students will have more interest in it. So the teacher can choose some good foreign films, and introduce the background of the countries to the students, and ask some questions properly. By adopting this way, teachers will motivate students’ learning interests. Thus, cultural teaching will be easier to carry on.
（科教论文网 Lw.nsEAc.com编辑整理） Traditionally, culture and language are taught separately in English teaching of our country and cultural teaching only fixes on conveying the basic information and citizens’ general concept of values of English speaking countries. In English teaching, every student is required to listen, read, write, speak or translate some materials, in which teachers can add some cultural content by all means. Teachers should put forward the function of culture contents in English acquisition and English communication, and organize some discussions or do some comparisons and make more practice under special cultural backgrounds. All the efforts English teachers try to combine the cultural consciousness with English teaching will no doubt improve the students’ English learning ability.
4. Some Requirements for English Teachers
As Chinese English learners, students or adults, they all study English in non-English speaking country lacks of cultural background. Generally speaking, they learn and use English just in the classrooms, so after class they seldom have opportunity to practice English. Therefore, they greatly rely on the classroom English teaching. Moreover, English teaching differs from the teaching of other subjects that English is the way of teaching when teachers teach the content of English textbooks. It requires English teachers should master English very well and know how to introduce the cultural background in their teaching classroom. So, there are some requirements for English teachers:
Firstly, English teachers should first have qualified English ability, which includes larger vocabulary, systematic knowledge of grammar, the good pronunciation and rich British-U.S. cultural knowledge. Students are expected to learn more if their teachers are knowledgeable.
Secondly, as English teachers, they should be good at oral or written expressions both Chinese and English. Making effort to speak English is not only vividly but also logically and humorously. Their voices should be moderate, delightful, and the blackboard writing should be clear, neat, and elegant appearance.
大学排名
Thirdly, teachers are organizers of classroom teaching. The teachers should be good at organizing classroom instruction, handling well of the bilateral activity both in teaching and learning and be able to distribute the limited time in English classroom effectively. Besides, they should know how to scientifically assign the density and range of knowledge. Key points should be prominent and practices should be designed appropriately. And they should be good at agitating, and infecting students so as to make the teaching process of classroom instruction carry out in the harmony and relaxing atmosphere. Moreover, teachers should drive the students at the right moment, make the students maintain the intense desires to participate in activities and keep the exuberant intellectual curiosity.
Fourthly, Teachers are supposed to be familiar with the request of teaching outline. They ought to comprehend the key points, difficult points and teaching goals they need to achieve. Meanwhile, it is also very significant for English teachers to write a practical and effective teaching plan according to the different contents and different aims. Their abilities to enhance the efficiency of the classroom teaching are also very essential.
Fifthly, English language is thought to be a subject which needs a large quantity of practices. The important symbol of practice class is its operations and drills. Therefore the teachers must grasp the skills to operate the advanced teaching auxiliary apparatus and the equipments, such as, radio, slide projector, projecting apparatus, VCD, computer, camera, videodisc player as well as the related equipments in lab. If they can fully display direct-viewing function of multimedia in English teaching, it will provide the best external environment for student's practice.
Sixthly, teachers are responsible for teaching students how to study, which is to help them to acquire knowledge and skills. Therefore, the teachers should act according to student's cognitional characteristics. They need to observe different students’ study methods carefully, fully estimate each kind of questions which students possibly meet in their study of the new knowledge, help weak students to overcome the barriers in their study especially the psychological barrier, impart correct and effective methods to students and help students to complete their tasks smoothly.
Finally, the second classroom is prolongation and supplement of classroom instruction. The teachers should create opportunities for students to use their knowledge what they learnt in classroom. Thus, colorful extracurricular activities can achieve tremendous success. For example, opening English corner, teaching English songs, organizing students to watch or do the role-play, holding the competition of reciting or the speech contest, arranging outside reading and so on. It is without doubt that these activities can induce students’ study interests, and they have great impact on fostering students’ study and English application ability. [10] P.77
In a word, English teachers play a very important role in those students who study English in china, but they cannot use English with their parents, or in their daily life. They can only get help from their English teachers and practice English with their English teachers, so it is very important for English teachers to acquire some teaching strategies.
5. Conclusion
In 21 century, with the fastest development of technology and the formation of global village, every one believes that the mankind’s association will become more important and frequent, therefore English teachers should make greater contribution to their English teaching. The educational system should be reformed, and new teaching mode is the one that can help the students get a lot of improvement in their ability of English communication skills and strengthen their cultural consciousness in intercourse communication. In the process of English teaching, cultural teaching plays an important role. It is suggested that the following points all the English teachers should bear in mind; firstly, target language learning and target culture teaching cannot be separated because they rely on each other. Secondly, cultural teaching, a major content of English teaching, cannot be neglected. Thirdly, the information in language should benefit the language learning along with the cultural learning. In conclusion, English teaching should not only focus on teaching language, but also on the cultural knowledge. Language learning and culture learning are closely related to each other, because cultural differences have great impact on their English learning and teaching. It is hoped that the present study will help English teachers improve their teaching approaches, and cultivate the cultural consciousness in students’ minds and stimulate their great interests in English learning.
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