yl---unit1_language and culture.ppt

Language and Culture,By Yangli,Major Topics,Unit one Language and culture Unit two Meanings of Words Unit three Grammar and Culture Unit four Cultural differences in Everyday Conversations Unit five Idioms, proverbs and Allusions Unit six Similes, metaphors and Associations Unit seven Honorifics, terms of humility, euphemisms and Taboos Unit eight Culture in text Unit nine Regional varieties of English Unit ten Nonverbal communication,Introduction to the Course,1. Aim of the course: comparative study of the 2 languages and 2 cultures so as to reveal the relationship between language and culture 2. Importance of the course: a.if people want to learn a foreign language properly, they must know Sth. about culture; b. culture is an interesting topic worth exploring.,,3. Way of learning: a. lecture; b. discussion; c. research 4. Textbooks Language and Culture 王振亚 高等教育出版社 Language and Culture 刘润清 邓炎昌 外语教学与研究出版社 Cultures and communication—a new practical English Course 胡穗鄂编著 暨南大学出版社,Case 1,Once a group of Chinese was visiting the home of a fairly well-to-do American. As they were shown around the house, they commented, “You have a very nice home. It’s so beautiful.” The hostess smiled with obvious pleasure and replied in good American fashion “Thank you”--which caused surprise among some of her Chinese guests.,,Later, while conversing at the dinner table, the host remarked to the Chinese interpreter, a young lady who has graduated not long ago from a Chinese university, “Your English is excellent. Really quite fluent.” To this she demurred, “No, no. My English is quite poor” ---an answer that he had not expected and found a bit puzzling.,,Questions: Was the American hostess’ reply immodest, as it seemed to some of the Chinese? Was the young Chinese interpreter’s remark insincere, as it sounded to the Americans?,,In both cases the answer is no. To English-speaking people, praise is to be accepted, generally with a remark like “Thank you.” It is assumed that the compliment is sincere, that the praise is for some not unworthy achievement or thing. Therefore, there should be no show of false humility, no pretended modesty.,,To Chinese, however, the customary reply to a compliment would be to claim that one is not worthy of the praise, that what one has done is hardly enough, or that success was more a matter of luck or some other circumstances. Acceptance of a compliment would imply conceit or lack of manners. So, in the two cases above, the reason of such different reactions was differences in customs and habits. Each was interpreting what the other said according to his or her own culture.,,Language, any language, has a dual character. It is both a means of communication and a carrier of culture.,Events like the above are fairly common when people of different languages and cultures communicate. Because of cultural differences, misunderstandings may arise, although the language used in communication may be faultless. The same words or expressions may not mean the same thing to different peoples. E.g. A serious question may cause amusement or laugher; A harmless statement may cause displeasure or anger. Jokes by a foreign speaker may be received with blank faces and stony silence. Yet the same stories in the speaker’s own country would leave audiences holding their sides with laughter.,,Language is a part of culture and plays a very important role in it. Some social scientists consider it the keystone of culture. Without language, they maintain, culture would not be possible. One the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture; it reflects culture. In the broadest sense, language is the symbolic representation of a people, and it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds as well as their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking. What need to be stressed here is that the two interact, and that understanding of one requires understanding of the other.,Yes and no,Imagine and American businessman reviewing an important contract with his Japanese counterpart. “We’ve got to work together.” The American says. “Hai,” the Japanese smiles. (“Hai” is the Japanese word for “yes”.) “We’re going to try for a 50-50 partnership,” the American says. “Hai.” “We will use American know-how and a Japanese work force.” “Hai.”,,Question: After this exchange, the American executive might very well assume he has a hard and fast agreement. But nothing could be further from the truth. Do you know why?,,When he says “hai”, the Japanese businessman is simply telling the man across the table that he hears what he is saying. There is no agreement. The Japanese, after all, are supreme team players, and one businessman would never make an agreement without first consulting other members of his team.,,Saying “no” seems to be more complicated. One of the more interesting observations about “no” is that sometimes “no” may mean “maybe” given the right time and circumstances. This is quite important in interperson。