The Impact of the Differences between Chinese and English Culture on English Learning and the Strategy

李丹（廣東省廣州市交通高級技工學校510540）

The Impact of the Differences between Chinese and English Culture on English Learning and the Strategy

李丹（廣東省廣州市交通高級技工學校510540）

Here,the essay takes English learning between China and English countries as an example.When we are learning English, we should not only learn the basic things,but shouldacquirecross-culturalawareness. However,it’s difficult to put it into practice. We need to know as much cultural background as possible.With regard to this,this essay will put forward some skills in learning English and exploretheimportanceofcultureand strategies.

culture;cultural differences; Englishlearning;cross-cultural;awareness strategies

Introduction

As the world is becoming smaller,language is the principal means whereby we conduct our social lives.When it is used in contexts of communication,it is bound up with culture in multipleandcomplexways.Therelation betweenlanguageandculturewouldnot constitute such serious difficulties for crossculture understanding if it were not for the numerous misconceptions about language and its function within a society.However,the fact is that we will make mistakes in English study and dailycommunicationduetothelackof understandinginculturalbackgroundand difference between China and English countries. Thus,as a language learners,first you need to know the importance of learning a foreign language,then you need to know what the culturedifferentreallymeaninlearning English.If you want to be an expert in foreign language,it’s important to learn the basic things such as words,grammar and sentence structures,and more important is to acquire cultural awareness.

1.Culture,CommunicationandInteraction

1.1 The Definition of Culture

The terms of culture has a wide range of meanings today,because it has actually changed inmeaningovertime,Goddard(Mikko Lehtonen,2000:58)providing great variety of changes.In its earliest English usage,culture was a noun of process,referring to the tending of crops or animals.The meaning is found in words such as agriculture,horticulture and viniculture.

1.2 Culture,Communication and Intercultural Interaction

Anunderstandingofintercultural communicationiscruciallyrelatedtoan understanding of the ways in which the spoken andwrittenwordmaybeinterpreted differentially,depending on the context.The message received is not always the one intended by the speaker or the writer.To manage interculturalinteractioneffectively,speakers need to be aware of the inherent norms of their own speech practices,and the ways in which norms vary depend on situational factors and the ways in which speakers form other language backgrounds may have different expectations of language usage and behavior.Researchon cross-culturalcommunicationtypically comparescommunicationpracticesofone cultural group with another,while studies on intercultural communication focus on features of the shared communication between speakers from different cultural backgrounds.

2.The Impact of Differences between Chinese and English Culture on English Learning

2.1 The role of Chinese Cultural Factors in English Learning

When we trying to learn English as a foreign language,besides grammar,we should learn the knowledge of its cultural backgrounds, and be familiar with expressions concerned with Chinese culture factors.With deepening of the policy of opening up to the outside world and entering into the WTO,English expression with Chineseculturefactorsisdefinitelyan unavoidable path to promote Chinese culture to the world,and a beginning of penetrating ChinesecultureinEnglishteachingand learning.

2.2 The Impact of Differences Culture on English Learning

It is a common view that foreign language learners necessarily become learners of the foreign language culture,and it is now an increasing consensus that language and culture learningcannotrealisticallyseparated.So EnglishlearningisalsoEnglishculture knowledgelearning.Theunderstandingof cultural knowledge influences one’s ability to use English,even we can say using English properlymustbepredicatedawell understanding of cultural knowledge.Cultural factors affect language learning in words,idioms, reading and writing.In modern English learning, it is generally accepted that cultural factors are one of the most difficult point.

2.2.1 Words&idioms

There are lots of words and idioms with different even opposite meanings in English and Chinese languages.Animals with the certain distinctive features are not always with the same implication in different cultures.When we learn a new word,usually,we tend to get its meaning by itself.While,figurative meanings in different language may have different associations.In cross-cultural communication,we must see what images of them can be brought about,and what context should be considered to grasp the meaning of words and expression from one language to another.

2.2.2 Reading comprehension

As we know,English reading is one kind of comprehensive ability which is an intelligence activity unique to us.Reading is not simply a process of knowing back ground knowledge. Some reading,although has not bumped into a new word in the reading process,and does not have the grammar barrier,but it is difficult for the students to know the meaning of the whole passage,especially when the students lack of the intercultural knowledge.

2.2.3 Language and culture contexts in writing

Owing to cultural differences,we should pay attention to many parts in linguistics.During its longtimeofpractice,thelexiconhas accumulated rich cultural meaning.Different cultural backgrounds have differences in the lexicon system.The influence of culture is pervasive and far exceeds the differences that occur between individuals within any given culture. It is culture that leads to different interpretations and reactions to language.Language is the trans-forming medium and it reflects culture.Many euphemisms have close relations with habits,customs,psychological factors,social conventions, social phenomena and literary works.

2.3 The Importance of Knowing the Culture in English-speaking Countries When Learning English

Language is important to human activity because it is how we reach out to make contact with our surroundings and other human beings. Language is a principal tool for us to communicate with people in other countries where people would not use the same language.Therefore,we need to learn a foreign language to keep in touch with foreigners so that the world would continually work.Therefore,how to learn English meet the needs of social development has become an urgent task to us.In this study,the main purpose is to raise our intercultural awareness and to draw more attention to the importance of cultural background knowledge in English learning.

3.Strategies

3.1 The Cultural Elements in English Learning

In considering the above account made by Spir,I want to stress the following points by saying that language is a particular component of culture:firstly,language penetrates into every level of culture and the linguistic system interpenetrates all other systems within culture.Secondly,language is the most important means by which culture is transmitted,such as music, drawing,etc,yet no other systems are so comprehensive and powerful as language.Furthermore,language is also the most important medium through which culture actively,but not passively,language can,in a sense,create culture by constructing a symbolic world and by reinforcing,preserving and transmitting cultural heritage.Last but not least“language is a great force of socialization,”It is largely through language socialization that an individual will acquire the culture of the people he she lives with.(Mark Robson[M].2008:132)

With his view that language is a particular part of culture,we can see that language can never be free of its cultural background,and“there is no natural language that can be used as a pure international language”.Therefore, learning a language naturally involves learning its culture.

3.1.1Words&idioms

Many scholars believed that English has its Chinese characteristics at different linguistic levels in China,namely pronunciation,vocabulary,syntax and discourse.At the lexical level, many Chinese words and terms have been translated into English.Since the culture shock would cause so many troubles in intercultural communication between Chinese and English speaking people,it is very important to know the culture in English speaking countries when learning English.The typical use of a particular word or grammatical structure in a certain context is the user’s conscious and un-conscious choice,which is influenced or partially governed by his native language and culture.

3.1.2 Reading comprehension

Readingcomprehensionshallnotonly grasp vocabularies,grammar,but also properly grasp the relationship between English learning and culture understanding.

Firstly,the first reading can offer some related knowledge and build a bridge between the reading passage and the readers’background knowledge.Secondly,the students can bring their prior knowledge to the text.During the reading,the student also can use their intercultural knowledge to understand the context.Finally,preview the text,focusing on some specific intercultural knowledge and summarize.This can help us further comprehend the text.

3.1.3 In writing

The differences between the Chinese and western modes of thinking play an important part,Chinese are accustomed to thinking in a spiral way,while English and Americans in a linear way.This difference in thinking often leads to misunderstanding.For example,the Chinese used dragon as an analogy to courage and auspice.While to Europe and the U.S.people think dragon is a symbol of the disaster.

3.2 Other Learning Strategies

3.2.1 The importance of learning a foreign language

The Chinese identities are Chinese varieties of English at the level of lexis and grammar.In grammar,it adds evidence to the argument that the left branching characteristic of Chinese has been transferred into English and becomes one of the grammatical features in Chinese varieties of English.The typical use of a particular word or grammatical structure in a certain context is the user’s conscious and unconscious choice,which is influenced or partially governed by his native language and culture.

3.2.2 Develop culture awareness

Awareness of language varieties and competence to use them are recognized to some extent by language students.Why do some westerners feel offended when they first meet Chinese people?That’s because we have different culture background,the culture differences must be taken into consideration,in another word;it’s the interference of native culture which causes the intercultural communication breakdown or culture shock.If we have culture awareness,we can make friends with foreigners more easily.

Conclusion

Generally speaking,learning a foreign language well,you need to understand how to assimilate the advantages from a foreign culture and to keep and develop the advantages of your own culture at the same time.Then a new system of values of language learning will be formed.Only truly understand the cultural differences of various ethnic groups can you use the language accurately.

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（責編張亞欣）

李丹（1987-），女，漢族，廣東普寧人，畢業于華南農業大學，文學學士，現就職于廣州市交通高級技工學校，助理講師。研究方向：英語。