文化差异对第二语言学习的影响

1、 本科毕业论文文化差异对第二语言学习的影响学生姓名： 学生学号： 7 院（系）： 外国语学院 年级专业： 2003级英语本科5班 指导教师： 二七年五月The Effects of Cultural Differenceson Second Language LearningXie JieUnder the Supervision ofLuo LiangSchool of Foreign Languages and CulturesPanzhihua UniversityMay 2007ContentsAbstract.IKey Words.I摘要.II关键词.IIIntroduction.1

2、I. Background about the Second Language Learning.3A. The Introduction to Second Language Learning.3B. The Importance of Culture in Second Language Learning.3II. The Cultural Differences and Their Effects.4A. Brief Introduction to the Cultural Differences.4B. Cultural Differences in Input.5C. Cultura

3、l Differences in Output.10III. Overcoming the Problems Aroused by Cultural Differences.14Conclusion17Acknowledgements.18Bibliography.19AbstractWith English learning becoming popular in China, more and more people would like to throw their energy into the research of this language. Because of the rel

4、ationship between language and culture, English learning is not only the language learning but also the culture learning. It is necessary to learn about the cultural background of this language. For Chinese learner, English learning is the second language learning, it has inevitably involved cross-c

5、ultural communication, so the cultural differences are important factors in it. This devotes to a discussion on the effects of cultural difference in second language learning. Firstly, it advances the idea that the cultural differences certainly have important effects in second language learning, in

6、 the view of aspects of the second language learning and the relation between language and culture. Secondly，it analyzes concretely the cultural differences and their effects from the two basic courses in language learning, namely “input and output”. Finally, it introduces some ways to avoid these i

7、nterferences and discusses what attitude we should adopt for these effects. Key WordsCultural differences; second language learning; effects 摘要随着英语学习在中国的流行，越来越多的人倾心于研究这门语言和这门语言的学习，英语学习对中国学习者来说是第二语言的学习。由于语言与文化的关系，语言的学习当然少不了对文化的了解与学习，而第二语言的学习更会涉及跨文化交际。本文着重分析中英两种文化的差异对中国学习者学习英语的干扰。首先从第二语言学习的相关背景及语言与文化的

8、关系的角度提出背景知识对第二语言学习的重要性，接着从学习一门语言最基本的两个过程“接收”和“表达”来分别具体分析中英两种文化的差异及其给学习者们造成的不良影响,最后以介绍怎样避免这些差异导致的影响以及学习者们的态度总结全文。关键词文化差异; 第二语言学习; 影响IntroductionNowadays English study is more and more popular in China. As we know that almost all colleges, universities and other kinds of institutions of higher learnin

9、g have Foreign Languages and Cultures Department, and the main section is English. As an English major student, I am also one of the members of Chinese learners. And today bilingual kindergartens, bilingual primary schools are not rare for us; moreover, English becomes the required course for every

10、student in high schools.As it is so popular and important but what should we pay attention to this language learning? And how do we study it well?In the textbook of interpreting skill between Chinese and English, there are such words to definite interpreting. “Interpretation is a bilingual communica

11、tive activity, in which the act of expressing and understanding the message is carried out twice. First, the message is sent by the speaker and understood by the interpreter, and then the same message is send by the interpreter and understood by the audience. The object of interpretation is to conve

12、y the meaning of a discourse.” It puts stress on the “meaning” namely refers to “the thinking of a speaker”, then it takes an instance to explain this. When Chinese hosts invite the west guests, in order to be polite, Chinese hosts always say “I am so sorry to that there are not any good things to t

13、reat you.” Every Chinese people know that the real meaning of these words is “This is but a homely meal” so the interpreter is not allowed to translate the Chinese sentence word for word as “my hospitality is inadequate, and tonights food is not good enough”. If he or she does like this, it loses al

14、l the courtesy implications of the Chinese host, and whats more, it may be completely incomprehensible to westerners. Indeed this is a completed translation without any grammatical mistakes but hasnt conveyed the meaning of the speaker just because it is related to the influence of the culture backg

15、round. China, influenced by several thousand years Confucianism, is promoting courtesy. But to westerns, there should be no show of false humility, no pretended modesty, rather than it; they prefer to transmit their hospitality to guests directly and generously accept the appreciation and praise fro

16、m guests. There is a point should be concerned that learning a foreign language not only means the language learning, but also the culture learning, especially the differences between two cultures.I. Background about the Second Language LearningA. The Introduction to Second Language LearningAs every

17、body knows, to learn another language after grasping the native language, namely the first language, is called the second language learning, such as foreigners study Chinese and Chinese people study English. I believe that most Chinese learners have such kind of experiences that during the course of

18、 second language learning, they always translate the target language into native language in the form to master the meaning of target language.B. The Importance of Cultural Background in Second Language LearningBut someone has said that language is at the centre of human life. It is one of the most

19、important ways of expressing our love or our hatred for people, we use it for planning our lives and remembering our past, we exchange ideas and experiences through it, and we identify ourselves with people who speak the same language, and so on. (Claive Kramsch，1993，15) All of them are related to c

20、ulture because that culture consists of all the shared products of human society. Therefore, language is a part of culture, it plays a very important role in culture. Some social scientists consider it as the keystone of culture, without language they maintain, culture would not be possible. On the

21、other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture, and it reflects culture. In my opinion, without culture, language would not be possible too. They are closely related and cannot be separated. This relationship can also consist in the name “Foreign Languages and Cultures Department”. Up to n

22、ow, I have never heard of “Foreign Languages Department”. Because of this relationship between culture and language, it is the truth that second language learning certainly refers to intercultural communication. According to it, we know that learning a foreign language well not only means to master

23、the pronunciation, grammar, words and idioms of the language, but also to consider the world as native, and master the cultures of it, like the ideas that language reflects, customs and behavior of their society. It means to understand their language of mind. Different language have different cultur

24、e pattern, every culture has its own cultural pattern, and Chinese is not exceptional. During the course of second language learning Chinese learners will more or less be affected by their native language such as in pronunciation, grammar, words etc, and especially affected by their own culture back

25、ground. That is the reason why Chinese learners often use “how old are you, where are you going, what are you going to do” to greet each other at the first sight. So the cultural background plays an every important role in second language learning.The example in textbook of interpreting also proves

26、it. The same or similar parts of the native couture background and second language cultural background will not hamper the learners, and learners can “borrow it” directly, but the different parts are the barriers for learners. “To break the principles of language using because of cultural difference

27、s often results in cultural blocks” it is bad for using the language to intercommunicate. Using a language that is not understood by others means failing to learn and use it, therefore, the cultural background especially the differences of them is very important for every second language learner.II.

28、 The Cultural Differences and Their EffectsA. Brief Introduction to the Cultural DifferencesThere are obvious differences in English cultural background and Chinese cultural background, such as most westerns worship individualism, and a large majority Chinese worship group. So an American friend usu

29、ally says “if you love your mother, you should work hard” but a Chinese friend used saying “to stay nearby your parents and take care of them.” And English-speaking people use chicken to indicate person who is timid, but Chinese use rabbit or mouse. And in English, dog is a symbol of loyalty, luck,

30、but in Chinese, dogs only a kind of animal that are always looked down upon by human. Because of these existing differences and their effects, learners should pay attention to learning them and solving the problems aroused by them.Following, Id like to discuss some concrete cultural differences and

31、their effects in two basic courses in language learning: input and output.B. Cultural Differences in InputInput, I think the influence of English cultural pattern is comparatively bigger, and it mainly consists in such several aspects: the real meaning of words, the different views of time, the Engl

32、ish idioms, sayings and allusions as well as the troubles in reading resulted from different writing styles. They bring out many troubles to most Chinese learners in English learning.1. The Profound Meaning of WordsFirstly, most Chinese learners used explaining the English words with related Chinese

33、 words. To turn on the textbooks of both the ordinary learners and some one who has a little higher level skill in English, there are many Chinese words on them that written by the owner. I believe that many learners have such kind of experiences: thinking with Chinese and finding some proper Englis

34、h words, sentences to write an English composition, they always look into the Chinese -English dictionary for finding some proper words but regard of the actually meaning of these words. For example, when some one needs a word to express a person who educated in his composition about the education i

35、n china, the word intellectual will be found according to looking into the English Chinese dictionary. But is it really proper? Does the English word “intellectual” have the same meaning as the Chinese meaning of the authors mind? After learning about their respective cultures, we will know that the

36、re are important differences between them, and the difference disturbs the student to comprehend this word. In china the term of scholars generally includes college teachers, college students and such people as medical doctors engineers, interpreters, people who have had a college education and midd

37、le school teachers, in many Chinese rural areas even middle school students are considered. In the U.S and Europe, however, intellectuals would include only people of high academic status such as college professors but not ordinary college students. (邓炎昌, 刘润清，1989，109)Now, using English words to exp

38、lain English words has been emphasized in both English teaching and English learning, because in different cultural background the words have different actual meaning. Many words or terms in both languages appear to refer to the same object or concept on the surface but which actually refer to quite

39、 different things. There are countless examples of common terms with surface similarity but actual semantic differences, such as high school doesnt mean the junior middle school in china. Service station is only a place where provides people getting gasoline or other service for their car. Rest room

40、 in America usage is not a place for people having a rest but a room in a theater dep. store or other large building equipped with toilets and washbasins for the use of customers employees etc, it is a polite term for bathroom or toilet. Moreover the English word peasant doesnt directly mean the Chi

41、nese word “农民”，and politician is a derogatory statesman but it is often used to express the statement of china by Chinese learners, they all neglect the other meaning smooth operator of this word. Just because of these common terms with surface similar but actual semantic difference, English learnin

42、g becomes more difficult and complex for Chinese learners, therefore, they should pay much attention to them.2. Different Views of TimeSecondly, if someone actually pays attention to the cultural background of English, it is not difficult to find that there are different views about time between Chi

43、nese people and westerners. Chinese people seem to belong to “past-orientated cultures”, because of its long and resplendent history. It believes strongly in the significance of prior events history and tradition are very important to these cultures, and that there are different views about time bet

44、ween Chinese people and westerns, Today Chinese historical dramas lead box-office sales, but most English speaking nations are just on the appositive situation, they seem to belong to “future-oriented cultures” especially the U.S, “it emphasizes the future and to expect it to be grander and nicer th

45、an the present, the coming next holds their greatest attention” (Claive Kramsch，1993，103). Still in films area, their science fiction films lead box office sales while Chinese people pay most attention to the historical dramas. Sometimes, the different view of time will brings out troubles, such as

46、“ahead” and “back” it seems that they adopt different ideas in using them to express past time and future, for example “but we are getting ahead of the story” to translate it into Chinese is“但是我们说到故事后头去了”. Another example “the date has been moved back time” means not to propone but to move up. Moreo

47、ver, “the latest news” doesnt mean the news be reported before a long time but the news be reported at the first time, the same, the latest discovery is the newest discovery.In addition there are lots of such kinds of words “聊天，摆龙门阵，吹牛”etc in Chinese. Which reflects the traditional notion and attitu

48、de for time in Chinese people but in most westerns, It is “time is money”, “I have no time” etc. In West Country, no matter to invite or be invited, the first thing considered is “time,” it is necessary for making an appointment before; otherwise, it will be regarded as a rude and impolite behavior.

49、3. The Idioms Proverbs and Sayings AllusionsIdioms, proverbs and sayings are an important part of the language and culture of a society. They are often hard to understand and cause inconvenience for learners in second language learning. Lots of scholars have conducted research and given outcomes.It

50、is often said, “Nothing marks a foreigner more than his unnecessary use of idioms.” (Deng Yanchang，Liu Runqing, 1989，123)No matter English and Chinese, both of them have their own idioms, sayings, proverbs. They are often complex in meaning and hard to understand from literal meanings.In English, th

51、ere are so many idioms combined none, verbs with the prepositions or adverbs that make learner feel English is very difficult to study, such as “look down upon, look out, part of the game” and so on. For example, in CET-6(2006), there is an incomplete sentence “The boy () their father because, altho

52、ugh he was stern, he was fair.” And students need chose the one answer that best completes it from four given choices, that is “looked down upon, looked up to, looked up at, looked up for” If someone who doesnt know well these idioms, it should be difficult to chose the correct one. After looking up

53、, we know that “look up to” just means respect but “look up for” is to seek.Proverbs, “they are short saying of folk wisdom-of wellknow facts or truths expresses succinctly and in a way that makes the easy to remember, it may provide interesting little glimpses or clues to a peoples geography, histo

54、ry, social organization social views, attitudes.” (Liu Runqing，1989，124) Just as the proverb “if at first you dont succeed try and try again” reflects the optimistic attitude of American.By virtue of different cultural backgrounds, there are proverbs both in English and Chinese respectively, some of

55、 them are same or similarity such as “out of sight, out of wind” equals “眼不见心不烦”and “where theres a will theres a way” “有志者事竟成”and so on. But it doesnt mean all of them are totally same or its unnecessary to distinguish them. Finally, the allusions which used by people in their speech or writing for

56、 making the language richer and the communication much more vivid also interfere learners to understand. Many English allusions involve events or characters from the treasure house of English literature, so people who never read the regional composition will not comprehend the meaning. For instance,

57、 the phrase “to have January chicks” in view of literal meaning, the January is the first month of one year and chick is a kind of poultry, so maybe learner will get at the meaning a poultry boned on the first month of the year, but there is an error in logic between the lines. This phenomenon is resulted from the comprehension without culture, only after reading The Canterbury tales of Geoffrey Chaucer, we can know that January is the heros name in businessman tale of Canterbury tales, in the book he got married to a beautiful y