通過文學作品進行文化教育

摘 要 中西方國家存在著較大的文化差異。所以學生在學習英語的同時就必須學習英語國家的文化。在外語教學中文學作品有著不可替代的作用。只要選材得當，教學方法正確，將文學作品作為課堂教材會取得意想不到的教學效果。通過文學作品進行文化教育是一種學習英語的好方法。

關鍵詞 文化 文學 文學作品

中圖分類號：I206 文獻標識碼：A

Culture Teaching Through English Literature

XUE Fei（Yantai Nanshan University， Yantai， Shandong 265713）

Abstract There are many cultural differences in many aspects between Chinese and west countries. While studying English students must study English culture in a right away. Literary texts offer a bountiful varied body of \"authentic\" material. In reading literary texts， Students have also to cope with language intended for native speakers and thus they gain additional familiarity with many different linguistic uses， forms and conventions. Culture teaching through English literature is a good way to help students to study English.

Key words culture， literature， literary texts

Ⅰ Introduction

Different literature reflects different cultures， and different cultures also influences different literature. Literature is a way of promoting multicultural understandings. People from different cultural background have different life styles， customs， think ways and value views. If people are in their countries， they know their own cultures but if they were in other countries they may in trouble for the culture. So people should learn about their cultural background before they communicate with others. Thus， student can use the language freely but they can not know the culture completely. English major should pay attention to the culture learning through English literature. The paper is concerned with the situation and methods of the teaching culture in English literature classroom. More specifically， some consideration will be given to how to teach culture through English literature.

Ⅱ The problems of culture teaching through English literature

It is known to all that interest is the best teacher， but a large part of college English teachers underestimate the effect of interest and keep preaching in class. Besides， “language environment” is needed to learn a foreign language and the lack of it in Chinese universities has hindered the student’s English learning. Some problems of the students’ learning habits is also the source of the inadequacy. Chinese students are not good at learning culture through English literature. The universities should encourage students to read English literature in their daily life and hole more activities with the purpose of promoting students’ English level. Teachers should focus on attracting students with charms and interest of English in their classes. Students should try to be participants of the learning activities rather than passive receptors.

The problems of culture teaching at college .What I think the most significant influence in cultural difference is the power distance. There are some problems in culture teaching through English literature. First， The teacher always puts himself in the role of teaching. That is to say， they think that the most important part of teaching English literature is to introduce the author’s life and the background of works. And they order their student to remember these. Second， Teacher should help students to understand literary appropriate but they always explain it in Chinese when they come across the good vocabulary. In that case， the limited time in class was wasted in these unknowing words and sentence.

Ⅲ Methods of culture teaching through English literature

Culture teaching is a good way to help students to study English. Student cannot truly master the language until they have also mastered the cultural contexts. That is to say， student should truly master the English culture when they are learning English. And how to increase students’ cultural awareness becomes more and more important. Culture teaching through English literature is a good way to help students to study English. Student cannot truly master English until they have also mastered the cultural contexts. Students have to master the English culture when they are learning literature texts. Here are some methods about culture teaching through English literature.

Group discussion.Learning to use English to present or describe one’s own culture is a very important skill. A good way to develop this ability is to have students explore specific culture through English literature. The instructor divided（下轉第177頁）（上接第159頁） the class into groups， with each group choosing one specific type of culture in English literature that they were interested in and then explored it and presented it in a video format. It should be interesting and students get the chance to learn culture of different fields and use communicative functions in a motivating way.

Interactions between teacher and students.Students are also encouraged to look up and read extra literature after school. But a variety of successful behaviors are interactions in the classroom. Teachers must allow students to observe and explore cultural interactions from their own perspectives to enable them to find their own voices in community. In addition， an effective way for students to learn English and culture is to send them into their own community. For example， there is a paragraph in Diogenes and Alexander …Like Diogenes，he admired the heroic figure of Hercules，who laborite to help mankind while all other toiled and sweated only for themselves. In the text it is important to know the outline. In teaching teacher is not only introduced Hercules’ cultural in the ancient Greece myth but also introduced the analysis of Diogenes and Alexander ‘s respect for Hercules. Including the Herculean task， make Herculean efforts， Hercules’choice， Hercules and his load and so on. In that case it can stimulated the student's interesting and also opened their the cultural field of vision.

Ⅳ Conclusion

The definition of culture consist broad sense meaning and narrow sense meaning. The broad sense defines culture as “the features of human beings”.But the narrow sense defines culture as “a life style of human community”. In fact， the narrow sense meaning is more apt to culture teaching. According to the narrow sense meaning， culture is a kind of social heritage which people have created for a long time. Language and culture have intimate relations， every kind of language has its own deep cultural connotation and every language is the image of a certain kind of culture. However， people from different cultural background have different life styles， customs， think ways and value views. There are many cultural differences in different countries. So， student should firstly learn about the cultural background before they communicate with others. Knowing the importance of culture teaching， student should learn culture in English literature class. Culture teaching through English literature is the best way to learn English.

References

[1] Dai Weidong. An introduction to modern English linguistics. Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.

[2] Fitzgerald， F. S. The Great Gatsby .Penguin，1983：29.

[3] 楊立民，徐克容.大學英語教程.外語教學與研究出版社，1996.

[4] 鄧炎昌，劉潤清.語言文化.外語教學與研究出版社，2001.