[摘要]外語教育的根本目的就是培養(yǎng)學(xué)生在實(shí)際生活中運(yùn)用語言的能力,達(dá)到良好的交際、交流的目的,而文化背景知識(shí)的缺失導(dǎo)致學(xué)生無法學(xué)以致用。本文通過對(duì)因文化背景不同引起的語言交流困難的分析和討論,指出語言教學(xué)課堂上傳遞文化背景的方法。
[關(guān)鍵詞]文化 語言 教學(xué) 學(xué)習(xí)
Language is a kind of tools for human communication, and it is a part of culture and plays a very important role in it. Language and culture interact and understanding of one requires understanding of the other.
Problems aroused by different cultural backgrounds. 1. Some difficulties in communication caused by different cultural backgrounds.Once we say green, in Chinese it means hope and energy, but in English it is always connected with envy and having no experience. Because of cultural differences, a serious question may cause amusement of laughter; A harmless statement may cause displeasure of anger. Yet the same stories in the speaker'own country would leave audiences holding their sides with laughter.
2.Problems in English teaching and learning and teaching material caused by neglect of cultural background knowledge. Cultures differ from one another. Each culture is unique. Learning a language, in fact, is inseparable from learning its culture.
However, it has been given not enough care to in our teaching for a long time. Although many students have acquired four skills-listening, speaking, reading and writing according to the demand of our traditional syllabus, they often make mistakes in application of language to real life, because our teaching and teaching materials attach importance to language forms but ignore the social meanings of language forms and language application in reality.
How to carry out the teaching of cultural background knowledge.1. Selecting proper teaching material.Teaching material is important. A proportion of foreign material and authentic material should be used, especially dialogues, because it's more authentic and reflects cultural behavior followed by speakers. teachers should explain cultural factors involved in the material with purpose.
2.Encouraging wide reading.Encourage students to read extensively, including novels, magazines, and newspapers etc.. To most Chinese learners, acquisition of knowledge of western culture, mainly depend on reading material, while literal works is the most rich material through which we can know something about a people's psychology, cultural characters, customs and habits, social relations etc. Teachers should guide students to accumulate relative cultural background knowledge.
3.Paying attention to proper wording in the classroom.In the classroom, teacher should pay attention to proper language forms as well as suitable use of language. One way of classroom teaching is to ask students to make similar dialogues to the text. A student inevitably needs to play a role and carry on a conversation according to a certain role. Teacher should attract the student's attention to his role and point out his expressions which are improper for his character or the occasion.
4.Using native English video tapes and films.Use good native English videotapes and films in teaching, and then organize discussions. When watching videotapes or seeing a film, students and teachers should pay much attention to the scene of daily life, such as conversations between shopkeepers and clients, dialogues on the telephone, chat in the street, etc. After that, teachers and students may exchange views and replenish each other.
5.Encouraging communication with native speakers of English.encourage students to communicate with native English speakers. In contact with native speakers, students can be deeply impressed.
6.Holding lectures about culture.hold some lectures about cultures and customs, comparing Chinese culture with western culture. In teaching, teachers should attach importance to cultural differences and study these differences.
As English teachers, we should not only help students to learn a foreign language, but also to learn social and cultural background knowledge. Only so, students can widen their knowledge and thus further learn English well.
Conclusion: the necessity for teachers to pass on cultural background knowledge to students.
In this article, we have analyzed the problems aroused by misunderstanding of the different cultural background. We have also suggested some ways for teachers to encourage students get cultural knowledge. We would, therefore, recommend the integration of cultural background knowledge into English teaching.
參考文獻(xiàn):
[1] Liu Daoyi, and N. J. H. Grant, Junior English for China, People's Education Press, Beijing, 1994.
[2]R. A. Hudson, Sociolinguistics, Foreign Language Teaching Research Press, Beijing, 2000.
[3]胡文仲. 《文化與交際》[M].外語教學(xué)與研究出版社,北京,1994.
[4]王才仁. 《English/\">英語教學(xué)交際論》[M].廣西:廣西教育出版社,1996.
[5]王福祥、吳汗櫻 《文化與語言》[M].外語教學(xué)與研究出版社,北京,1994.
作者單位:西安工業(yè)大學(xué)外國語言系