Analysis on the Differences of Greetings Between Chinese and English from the Cultural Context

吳清清

【Abstract】From the perspective of High-context and low-context culture theory proposed by Edward T. Hall which exerts great influence on the study of cross-cultural communication， this paper analyzes differences of Chinese and English greetings by the situational greetings of Modern Family. Greeting is the direct and real reflection of social life and culture and it helps maintain interpersonal relations.

【Key words】High-context and low-context culture； Chinese and English greetings； cross-cultural communication

Ⅰ. Introduction

Context is of vital significance to the development of cross-cultural communication. According to Hall， the context can be classified into high and low context from the perspective of cultural conflicts. The theory and examples of high and low-context culture are introduced later in the paper. The cases are based on several dialogues chosen from the American drama Modern Family.

Ⅱ. Halls Context Theory

Cultures in which less has to be said or written because more of the meaning is in the physical environment or already shared by people are labeled high context. Low context culture means cultures in which little of the meaning is determined by the context because the message that is encoded in the explicit code are labeled low context. In a high cultural context， the message sender applies a relational， collectivist intuitive， and contemplative way. In a low cultural context， the message sender expresses in a more logical， linear， individualistic， and action-oriented way. And the literal meaning is no different from the hidden meaning.

Ⅲ. Different greetings between English and Chinese

Lets see the following dialogues chosen from Modern Family Season one. Dialogue 1

Phil：Buddy. Why do you keep getting stuck like this？

Luke：I thought I could get out this time.

Alex：Im just gonna say it. He needs to be checked by a specialist.

Phil：There. Be free.

Luke：Excalibur.

Seldom does a Chinese father call his son “兄弟”as dialogue one， not to mention that a young kid calls the older generation by their name（Manny calls his step-father Jay）. Chinese sisters or brothers will call each other by their age like “二哥”， while westerners call their sisters or brothers by their name like Haley and call the elder generation with their names added behind uncle or aunt…

Dialogue 2

Josh：Im Josh. Ryans dad.

Gloria：Hi， Im Gloria Pritchett. Mannys mother.endprint

Josh：Oh， and this must be your dad.

Jay：Her dad？ Actually， no， Im her husband.

Josh thought Jay was Glorias dad， but Jay denied and correct the misunderstanding at once. Westerners will straightforwardly correct others regardless of any consequence. On the contrary， we choose to be tactful and indirect and face and dignity are above all.

Ⅳ. Causes of differences of greetings between English and Chinese.

4.1 Different background

Language is also one important part of culture and deeply affected by social background. Westerners value marriage and age as privacy. They pursue equality and individuality. Chinese have been always valuing harmony and modesty as well as justice and personal consideration. Marriage and age are usually mentioned by seniors as caring medium.

4.2 Different thinking ways

Western world care more about themselves and value respect and compact. Eastern world， however， appears to be more concerned of the group and emphasize on peace and smooth progress.

4.3 Different communicative habits.

Westerners usually start their topic with weather or small subjects like car. Chinese prefer some action verbs like eating or doing something as a start of the conversation. Privacy is still one big water-shed between the two. And westerners will remain engaged as best. They think that effective communication is about much more than getting your message out.

Ⅴ. Conclusion

Greetings have different effects in the specific context. To sum up， the study of the differences of greetings between Chinese and English from the cultural context can help bridge cultural gaps and raise the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication. Besides， this may help English learners to have a better knowledge of high and low-cultural context when it comes to cross-cultural communication. Therefore， this paper can to some extent arouse their interest in the study of cross-cultural communication and also the English-Chinese comparative study.

References：

[1]Larry A.Samovar，Richard E.Porter，Lisa A.Stefani.Communication Between Cultures[M].北京：外語教學與研究出版社，湯姆森學習出版社，2008.endprint