——◎佟斯琴/内蒙古锡林郭勒盟二连浩特市第一中学——
〔摘要〕本文主要讨论了中学英语教学中的跨文化教学。跨文化教学对所有学生均是重要且必要的。文化与语言的关系决定了跨文化教学在英语教学中的重要性。论文中作者谈到了一些适用于中学英语课堂中跨文化教学的方法和策略。如，运用各种方法将文化融入中学英语课堂；为学生创造英语文化环境；对比不同文化差异；阅读英语文献和最大限度运用第二课堂等。
〔关键词〕跨文化英语教学应用
Abstract:Thispapertalksaboutcross-cultureteachinginmiddleschoolEnglishLanguageTeaching.Cross-cultureteachingisimportantandnecessaryforallstudents.Therelationshipbetweencultureandlanguagedeterminestheimportanceofcross-cultureteachinginEnglishlanguageteaching.Inthisthesisthewriterofferssomemethodsandprinciplesofteachingcross-cultureintothemiddleschoolEnglishclassroom.SuchasusepersemeasurestoincorporatecultureintomiddleschoolEnglishclassroom;creatingEnglishculturalenvironmentforstudents;makingcomparisonsbetweencultures;readingliterarymasterpiecesandmakingthebestofthesecondclassroometc.
Keywords:cross-cultureEnglishlanguageteachingapplication．
一、Introduction
Nowadays,bytheholdingofOlympicGames,globalizationofeconomyandeducation,cross-culturecommunicationbecomesoneofthemostimportantpartsofEnglishlanguageteachinginordertomakepeoplefromdifferentcountriesunderstandeachotherwell.TheaimofEnglishlanguageteachingistomakestudentsopentheirmouthtoconnectwithothers,especiallyforeigners,inEnglisheasily.Therehasbeencross-culturalcommunicationaslongaspeopleformdifferentcultureshavebeenencounteringoneanother.Soitisimportantandnecessaryforustoteachstudentsaboutforeignculture.
二、ImportanceofCross-cultureteachinginmiddleschool
Languageisapartofcultureandplaysaveryimportantroleinit.Languageconveysculture,soalanguageteacherisalsoshouldbeateacherofaculture.Learningalanguageisinseparablefromlearningitsculture.Acquisitionofinformationaboutforeigncultureisasimportantaslanguagelearningitself.So,weshouldsticktointegratecultureteachingwithEnglishteachingandtrytoimprovethestudent’sculturalawarenesssothattheycanknowhowtocommunicateappropriatelyduringthecross-culturalcommunication.Learningaforeignlanguagewellmeansmorethanmerelymasteringthepronunciation,grammar,wordsandidioms,italsomeanslearningtoseetheworldasnativespeakersofthatlanguageseeit,learningthewaysinwhichtheirlanguagereflectstheideas,customs,andbehavioroftheirsociety,learningtounderstandtheir"languageofthemind".Learningalanguage,infact,isinseparablefromlearningitsculture.Onlyinthisway,canweobtainthecross-culturalcompetence,whichistheendoftheforeignlanguageteaching.Nowadays,varioussurveysshowclearlythatourstudentsarequiteunabletocommunicatesuccessfullywithforeignersdespitetheiraccuratepronunciation,grammaticalcompetence,andagoodcommandofEnglishvocabulary.Ithasclearlyshownustheimportanceofcross—cultureteaching.
三、Themethodsofteachingcross-cultureinmiddleschoolEnglishclassroom
ClassroomteachingisthemainapproachforthestudentstolearntheEnglishculture,soitisimportanttoincorporatecultureintotheEnglishclassroom.Thenwhatprinciplesshouldbefollowedwhileincorporatingculture?Basedonthemiddleschoolstudents’realsituationandthecharacteristicsofEnglishculture,thefollowingprinciplesshouldbefollowed.
1、UsepersemeasurestoincorporateculturemiddleschoolEnglishclassroom:Thegreatdevelopmentofmodernteachingtechnologymakesourteachingmorecolorful.Pictures,realobjects,Internet,videos,television,colormagazines,photosandsongscanbeusedasteachingmaterials,inordertomeetstudents’differentlearningstyles.Massmediasuchasfilm,novelsandespeciallynewspapersandmagazinesareconsideredtobeaninsightfulmeansforteachingculture.Besides,multi--mediamaterialsandapproachesaresodifferentfromthetraditionalchalkandblackboardmethod.Theyarewidelywelcomedtothestudents,duetotheirvividpresentationofbothlanguageandculturedknowledgebasedonauthenticcircumstances.Teachersbelievethatusingmulti--mediaintheEnglishlanguageteachingclassroomiscertaintobringaboutasuperiorresultsoon.Ontheonehand,ithelpstosimplifytheteachingandlearningprocess;ontheotherhanditperfectstheprocesstoo.
2、Incorporatingculturebytextbook:CreativelyusingtheteachingmaterialsintheirhandwouldbethemostpracticalandeffectivewayofteachingEnglishcultureinChina.Suchasthereadingbook,teachingmaterials,textbookandsoon.Well-designedlessonscanhelpthestudentslearnEnglishculturemoreeasilyandinteresting.
3、CreatingEnglishculturalenvironmentforstudents:TheteachershouldtrytogiveagoodEnglishenvironmentforthestudents.Theycanguidethestudentstoparticipateinthecommunityinitsculturalenvironment.However,itdosenotmeanthatastudentcannotbea“participantincultureClassroom”,assomeonecallsit,isarealenvironmentwherestudentsmaybegintounderstandtheforeignculture.“Cultureiscreatedandenactedthroughthedialoguebetweenteacherandstudentsinclass.Throughtheirdialogue,participantsnotonlyreplicateagivencontextofculture,butbecauseittakesplaceinaforeignlanguage,italsohasthepotentialofshapinganewculture”(Kramsch1993:4).Ofcourse,theteacherscanalsomotivatestudentstoparticipateinallkindsofEnglishactivities,suchasactingoutEnglishplays,oralEnglishcompetitions,shortEnglishperformances,etc.Tomaketeachingmoreeffective,asuccessfullessonoffersnotonlythenecessarylanguagepoints,butmorelifescenesinclassbyusingmoreteachingmethodslikeroleplay,groupdiscussion,pairwork,etc.
4、Makingcomparisonsbetweencultures:Comparingisthemainmethodofstudyingcross-culturalcommunicationandlearningtheforeignlanguage.Throughthecomparisonoftwolanguages,thestudentscanhaveabetterunderstandingofthedifferencesbetweenourmothertongueandtheEnglishlanguage.Comparingcanmakeourstudentsavoidlanguageshockinthefutureandreducecross-languagecommunicativeerrorsinpractice.Comparisonalsohelpsstudentsexplaindifferentculturebehavior,avoidingjustexplaininganother’sbehavioraccordingtotheirownstandards.Onlybycomparisoncanonedistinguishthedifferencesandimprovetheabilityofdistinguishingdifferentculture.Infact,wecancomparethemfromdifferentaspects,suchasgreetings,sayingfarewells,beingaguest,tablemanners,andsocialvaluesandsoon.Forexample,whenmeetinganewfriend,weshouldgivehimahugorjustshakehandsonly.Atthetable,weshouldknowhowtobehave,forexample,howtouseknivesandforks,whentodrinkatoastetc.InEngland,oneshouldopenthepresentdirectlyatthetimewhenreceivingabirthdaypresent.InChinese,brideoftenwearsred,foritreferstogoodluck.ButinBritish,peoplewearwhiteintheirweddings.Sincethecolorreferstopureandhonest.Anotherexample:InChinese,wesay“Luckydog”,whileinBritishwecallit“luckydog”.Aboutthis,weteachersneedexplainittothestudents,orthestudentscan’tmakesenseofitwell.
5、Readingliterarymasterpieces:ManystudentsdeveloptheirknowledgebyreadingvariouskindsofEnglishbooks.Thestudentscanbroadentheirhorizoneffectively,throughreadingespeciallyliteraturereading,becauseliteraryworksareamirrortoreflectanation’sculture,andtheycanvividlyandconcretelyreflectthenation’shabitsandcharacteristics,waysofthinking,customs,andsocialrelationshipandsoon.It’shelpfulforteacherstochoosesomesuitablepassagesforthestudents,suchas,TheTwelfthNightbyShakespeare,TheNecklacebyMaupassant.Asteachers,especiallyEnglishteacher,consideringthatstudentshavenoideaaboutforeignculture,wemightaswellintroducetoourstudentsmoreaboutthewriters,theirmasterpiecesandthebackgroundstothedegreethattheygetmotivatedtolearnEnglishbetter.
6、Makingthebestofthesecondclassroom:Aswetakemeasurestooptimizeourclassroomteaching,weshouldalsoactivelytakeadvantageofthesecondclassroom.Weshouldencouragethestudentstoparticipateinplentyofextracurricularactivities.BymeansoftheactivitiesinEnglish,thestudentscancultivatetheirenthusiasmforEnglishandunderstandculturebetter.Whenitcomestothesecondclassroom,actingplaysinEnglishcanassistthestudentsintolearningthelanguageandculture,fortheplaywillincludealotofcultureinformation.Andmanydifferentskillscanbehandledintheseperformanceslikesinging,dancing,designingandplayingmusicalinstruments.Throughperformingtheplay,theycanunderstandthebackgroundoftheplaysbetter.WatchingtheEnglishoriginalfilmsisanotheroptionalway.Foronething,thevisualmaterialsareeasytofollowandthemajorityofthestudentslovewatchingtheEnglishoriginalfilms.Foranother,thestudentsoftengetsomeknowledgetheycan’tgetfromthetextbooks,especiallycultureinformationwhileenjoyingtheinterestingstory.TakethemoviePrisonBreakforexample,besidessomebreathtakingscenes,wecanlearnsomecursewordsfromit,likebullshit,s.o.b.(sonofbitch),bastard,fuckyou,damnyou,andsoon,whichseemtobeuselessbutratheroftenhappeninreallife.PickinguptheradioprogramsovertheradioorthroughtheInternetcanreallybenefitourEnglishlearning.Englishlanguagebroadcasts,likeBBC,VOA,CRI(ChinaRadioInternational),areeasilytunedinmostpartofourcountry.MoststudentscanunderstandVOAspecialprogramsinwhichthereismuchcultureinformationabouttheUSA.IfthestudentskeeplisteningthenewsbroadcastsinEnglish,theywillbeincreasingtheirknowledgeoftheEnglish-spokencountries.EnjoyingEnglishsongswillmakegreatcontributionstoenrichingstudents’cultureofEnglishcountries.Manysongsarealsorootedinculture.Andsomefamoussingers,likeBackstreetBoys,Westlife,arecontentsofculture.TherearealargenumberofidiomsforstudentsofEnglishasaforeignlanguagetolearn.Theyposeathornyproblemforlearnersofasaforeignlanguage.Ourtroubleiseasilycausedbytheidioms:weinterpretthemliterallywhiletherelationshipbetweenidiomsandtheirmeaningisarbitrary.It’snecessaryforourstudentstolearnEnglishproverb.Forexample,theproverb“Ayoungidler,anoldbeggar”means“ifonedoesnotworkhardwhenheisyoung,therewillbeonlyregretleftwhenheisold”anotherexample,“whatislearnedinthecradleiscarriedinthegrave”means“whatyoulearnedinyourchildhoodorwhenyouwereyoungwilllastlongtillyouold”.It’salsonecessaryforustoknowtheroleofthereligionaswell,especiallyChristianity,whichiscommonandexertsastronginfluenceonthepeoplefromtheEnglish-spokencountriesdaily.TherearemanyotherapproachestolearningthecultureoftheEnglish-spokencountries.Allinall,onlybylearningit,canstudentsimprovethecross-culturalcommunicativeabilityandcultureawareness.
四、Conclusion
Onthewhole,theobjectivesofELTandtherelationbetweenlanguageandculturedeterminethenecessityofcross-cultureteaching.Itisnecessaryandurgenttoteachnotonlyculturalknowledgeinformationbutalsoculturalcommunicationinformationaswell.StudentsbenefitalotfromthenewmodelofEnglishLanguageTeaching.BecauseoffilteringculturallearningintoLanguagelearning,studentscanenjoyEnglishlearning.TheycanhaveasenseofsuccessbyhavingthechancestocommunicatewithothersinEnglish.Atthesametime,theactivitiesofrole-playandgroupdiscussionarealsoverygoodtomakethemrealizehowtoco-operatewithothers.Icansay,filteringcross-cultureteachingintoEnglishteachingcanbringnewlifetoEnglishlanguagelearninginmiddleschool,anditcanalsopromotethequalityeducation.Bylearningcultureduringthelanguagelearning,studentscannotonlypracticetheirfiveskills(Listening,speaking,reading,writingandtranslating),butalsocanobtainthecross-culturalcompetence.So,weshouldsticktointegratecultureteachingintomiddleschoolEnglishteachingandtrytoimprovethestudent’sculturalawarenesssothattheycanknowhowtocommunicateappropriatelyduringthecross-culturalcommunication.Onapracticalnote,cultureteachingshouldallowstudentstoincreasetheirvalues,attitudes,andbeliefs.Morespecifically,theteachingofcross-cultureinmiddleschoolEnglishlanguageteachingclassshouldmakestudentsawareofspeechacts,thatis,appropriateorinappropriatebehavior,aswellasprovidethemwiththeopportunitytoactoutbeingamemberoftheEnglishculture.
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