張婷 正文 淺析中學(xué)英語(yǔ)教學(xué)中的文化滲透On Culture Infiltration in Middle School English Language Teaching

1、Zhang Ting 1大理學(xué)院畢業(yè)設(shè)計(jì)（論文）淺析中學(xué)英語(yǔ)教學(xué)中的文化滲透On Culture Infiltration in Middle School English Language Teaching學(xué) 院： 外國(guó)語(yǔ)學(xué)院 專(zhuān) 業(yè)： 英 語(yǔ) 年級(jí)班級(jí)： 07級(jí)2班 學(xué)生學(xué)號(hào)： 2007123216 學(xué)生姓名： 張 婷 指導(dǎo)教師： 朱 琳 起止日期： 2010年10月2010年12月 制表日期：2010 年 12月 19日On Culture Infiltration in Middle School English Language TeachingZhang TingEnglish 2

2、007-2Zhu Lin (Associate Professor)December19, 2010摘 要語(yǔ)言是文化的載體，語(yǔ)言與文化二者相互作用。語(yǔ)言，作為一種符號(hào)系統(tǒng)在其具體應(yīng)用中，因不同的情景和文化而產(chǎn)生不同的語(yǔ)言行為，具有不同的文化意義。隨著英語(yǔ)教學(xué)研究的深入，文化對(duì)英語(yǔ)教學(xué)的影響越來(lái)越受到人們的關(guān)注。本文將從我國(guó)中學(xué)英語(yǔ)文化教學(xué)的現(xiàn)狀入手，結(jié)合中學(xué)英語(yǔ)教學(xué)大綱的要求，探討在中學(xué)英語(yǔ)教學(xué)中進(jìn)行文化滲透的重要性、需要進(jìn)行文化滲透的內(nèi)容、滲透的方法策略及應(yīng)遵循的原則。只有當(dāng)學(xué)習(xí)者對(duì)英語(yǔ)文化背景知識(shí)有了很好的了解， 才能使他們不但從表面上而且從本質(zhì)上真正了解和掌握英語(yǔ)，從而減少英語(yǔ)交流的障礙

3、,真正學(xué)好英語(yǔ)，用好英語(yǔ)。 關(guān)鍵詞：英語(yǔ)教學(xué)；文化滲透；方法策略AbstractLanguage is the carrier of culture. They interact with each other. And language is a system of signs that can produce different speech action and cultural meaning because of different cultural context. With the development of research on English language teach

4、ing, the influence of culture on English language teaching is attracting more and more attention. According to the requirement of the English syllabus and English program for the middle school English language teaching, this thesis focuses on the current situation of cultural teaching in middle scho

5、ols in our country, the importance of culture infiltration, the content of culture that should be infiltrated, the methods used to infiltrate culture and the principles teachers should follow in middle school English language teaching. Only when the learners understand the English background knowled

6、ge well, can they comprehend and master English in nature, so that the obstacles exiting in their English communication will be eliminated effectively. Thus the learners can learn and use English well. Key words： English language teaching; culture infiltration; strategy Zhang Ting 25ContentsIntroduc

7、tion.11. The reasons for the lack of culture infiltration and its influences on English language teaching and learning.31.1 The reasons31.1.1 Paying more attention to language symbols.31.1.2 Single teaching method 31.1.3 English teachers various abilities.31.2 The influences on English language teac

8、hing and learning.42. The importance of culture infiltration.52.1 The requirement of middle school English language teaching syllabus in China .52.2 The relationship between language and culture.62.3 The background knowledge that should be infiltrated.8 2.3.1 Cultural differences in everyday convers

9、ation.82.3.2 The culture and English vocabulary.92.3.3 Idioms102.3.4 English and American literature103. The strategies of culture infiltration. .1.113.1 Comparison.113.2 Direct explanation.123.2.1 Using textbook .123.2.2 Using English songs.13 3.2.3 Using English films.143.3 Discussion.153.4 Other

10、ways of culture infiltration.16 3.5 The principles that English teachers should follow.16Conclusion.17Notes 19Bibliography.21Acknowledgements IntroductionWith the development of society, we live in an age that many changes in technology, travel, economic and political systems, immigration patterns a

11、nd population density have created a world that culture effects communication in subtle and profound ways. Our cultural background knowledge and experiences determine how we interact with each other.With the frequent intercultural communication, more and more attention is being paid to the researche

12、s on intercultural communication. At first, the researchers mainly paid their attention to the relationship between language and culture. It is commonly accepted that language is a part of culture，and it plays a very important role in cultureBrown described the two as follows：“A language is a part o

13、f a culture and a culture is a part of a language；language and culture are intricately interwoven so that one can not separate them without losing the significance of either language or culture.” In a word，culture and language are inseparableIn the 1920s, American linguistics Sapir said: “l(fā)anguage h

14、as its own environment, and it can not exist without culture.” And B.D.Rubin said: “l(fā)anguage is a set of characters or elements and rules for their use in relation to one another.” These characters or elements are language symbols that are culturally diverse, that is to say, they differ from one cul

15、ture to another. In 1982，Hu Wenzhong pointed out: there was a close relationship between cultural differences and foreign language teachingAnd there were three relations that teachers should pay attention toThe first is the relation between language and culture. The second is the relation between li

16、nguistic competence and communicative competence. The third is the relation between foreign language teaching and other school subjects.Cao Wen puts forward there are two levels of English cultural teaching in his article. “One is the level of cultural knowledge，and the other is cultural understandi

17、ng.” So when teaching a language, a teacher should infiltrate its culture properly, so does the English language teaching.However, culture infiltration in middle school English language teaching is not ideal. An investigation shows that “only 37% students think that it is necessary to infiltrate cul

18、ture in middle school English teaching, and 58% students think it is a little help for their studies”. Whats worse, in 2008, Li Lijie made an investigation on whether the English teachers infiltrate culture or not in senior high middle school English language teaching. A table about the situation wh

19、ether the English teachers infiltrate culture in senior high school Frequency (%) ContentsAlwaysoftensometimesoccasionallyneverOften used idioms14.235.223.626.80.2Code of conduct0.414.127.847.80.9Social etiquette0.30.414.055.729.6Mode of thinking0.10.48.814.276.5Values0.21.79.853.235.1Nonverbal comm

20、unications0.21.79.853.235.1 From the table, we can learn that the situation of culture infiltration in middle school English language teaching is not optimistic. The English teachers in middle schools ignore the importance of culture infiltration, and pay more attention to the meanings of language s

21、ymbols. And what the students gain is series of language symbols.Researches about this topic are various; some researchers worked out that what kind of culture should be infiltrated in English language teaching, and some tell us how to infiltrate culture in English language teaching, and others do n

22、ot only tell us what should be done but also how. However, they do not tell us what we should do as what they suggest in primary school, middle school or college English language teaching. And what they suggested is not comprehensive and some of the suggestions are obsolete. Whats more, they neglect

23、ed Chinese culture infiltration.Based on their researches, this thesis will study further more, and try to find out something better and useful for Middle school English teachers. The middle school English teachers are expected to be aware of the importance of culture infiltration in English languag

24、e teaching so that they could work efficiently, and the students would possess the cross cultural communicative competence and the linguistic competence at the same time.1. The reasons for the lack of culture infiltration and its influences on English language teaching and learning1.1 The reasons1.1

25、.1 Paying more attention to language symbols Influenced by the examination-oriented education, English teachers in middle schools mainly pay their attention to the pronunciations, vocabulary and grammar, but ignore that language is the carrier of culture for that they wish their students to get high

26、er marks in examinations. They are not aware that it is necessary to infiltrate culture in English language teaching. So, English language teaching should strengthen culture infiltration, or the students who can speak English with well pronounce, right grammar, and get high marks in examinations wou

27、ld be always making mistakes in cross cultural communication just for the lack of knowledge of culture.1.1.2 Single teaching method The pattern of English language teaching in our country is mainly explicit conduct. English teachers deliver language knowledge to students unidirectionally and most st

28、udents receive the knowledge passively. In classes, there are not mutual activities. Although there is something about culture that should be infiltrated in English language teaching, yet some teachers just make it a casual remark in passing with explanation, and they do not talk with their students

29、 about the connotation of culture, so that it can not satisfy the students thirst for knowledge of culture.1.1.3 English teachers various abilities “The role of the teacher changes following the aims of the class, the teacher may function more as a controller if he is mainly doing presentation of ne

30、w language points, whereas he is more of a resource or prompter or a participant in communicative activities” As a controller, a resource or a prompter in classroom teaching, an English teacher should provide students information about the differences between two culturesChinese and English and expl

31、ain them. However, the English teachers have various interests and study habits, different understanding about culture and various ability to explain, so that the culture knowledge they have owned and the ways in which they infiltrate culture are various. That is to say, one who is good at culture i

32、nfiltration can lead the cultural background knowledge in her/his teaching naturally. And the one who is not good at it may neglect or even skip the culture infiltration. There is no doubt that doing like that should badly influence their students understanding of culture.1.2 The influences on Engli

33、sh language teaching and learningIn our country, some counties are very poor and remote, there is no electricity, and they can not watch TV and have no access to internet. Whats worse, the bookshops are very small, the students can not find enough books to satisfy their needs. So, the students have

34、to rely on their teachers culture infiltration in classes. However, the English teachers also can not find enough materials to develop their cultural knowledge. When the classes need to infiltrate English culture, what they can do is to teach their students what they have gained long before. But it

35、is a pity that their knowledge is obsolete, and it can not stand for the characteristics of English culture any longer. As a result, what the students gain from their teachers is also out-of-date knowledge.Students cognition about the developing cross culture will be inflexible just for the lack of

36、culture infiltration. Consequently, they always think that everyone in a cultural community has the same characteristics, but can not find their differences. Then, they pay so much attention to the similarities in one cultural community that they ignore the complexity and variety between different c

37、ultures.It will violate the reform of educational system. The shortfall in culture infiltration will result in the failure of English language teaching. The guiding policy for education in our country is to gear education to the needs of modernization, the world and the future. And the educational i

38、nnovation suggests that the target of middle school English language teaching should help the students to foster their competence of intercultural communication. It is difficult to realize the target of middle school English language teaching without the culture infiltration or for the shortage of c

39、ulture infiltration.2. The importance of culture infiltration As China joined the WTO, the development of economy of our country has made us open to the outside and reinforce cooperation with other countries in various areas，which leads to a new structure of culture globalization and English is comm

40、only and frequently used in our society. This developing tendency has influenced the traditional English language teaching. Some teachers and students have realized that a good command of English vocabulary and grammar does not necessarily satisfy the need of the society.2.1 The requirement of middl

41、e school English language teaching syllabus in China Culture is inseparably linked to education. People brought up in diverse cultures are educated in accordance with the apprehended needs of their cultures. Though people may be biologically alike, they grow up to be socially various just for their

42、cultural experiences. However, schools represent one of the most important of those experiences. Chinese philosopher Tehyi Hsieh said: “The schools of the country are its future in miniature.” So schools have profound impact on intercultural interaction.In order to meet the needs of socialist modern

43、ization and the world, the English syllabus of middle school suggests: “Culture should be something about the English-speaking countries' history, geography, local conditions and customs, traditional customs, life styles, literature, value and so on.” And it also suggests that the middle school

44、English teachers should extend the content of culture knowledge gradually in accordance with students ages and cognition. At the beginning of English language teaching, English teachers should help students to comprehend the facial differences and similarities of cultures between Chinese and English

45、 speaking countries. When related to the culture of English- speaking countries in teaching progress, teachers should combine it with students daily life so that it can arouse students interests to study English. And in later English language teaching, teachers should help students to wide their ken

46、 by enriching their cultural knowledge, so that the students can be sensible to the differences between Chinese culture and English one and can obtain the ability to differentiate those. And in this way, it will help the students to improve their capability of cross cultural communication. The new E

47、nglish Course Standards point out:The general goal of an English course at the middle school education stage is to cultivate students manifold abilities of applying languageIt is built upon the students language skills，language knowledge, affective education learning tactics and culture awareness. C

48、ulture awareness is the premise of using language appropriatelyGiving students more exposure to the culture of English-speaking countries is very necessary for them to understand and use English well. And English teachers should help students to deepen the comprehension and cognition of our domestic

49、 culture and develop their world consciousness.2.2 The relationship between language and culture Language and culture, intrinsically dependent on each other, have evolved together though history. We can find the proof of their mutual interdependence in civilization, the development of the communicat

50、ion between people. However, what is language? According to Hall and Sapir, “l(fā)anguage is the institution whereby humans communicate and interact with each other by means of habitually used oral-auditory arbitrary symbols” . “Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating idea

51、s emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols”. From the sayings, we learn that the function of a language is used for communication.What is culture? According to Linell Davis, “culture is the total accumulation of beliefs, customs, values, behaviors, institutions and communication

52、 patterns that are shared, learned and passed down through the generations in an identifiable group of people.” From A New Concise Course on Linguistics for Students of English, “Culture means the total way of life of a people, including the patterns of belief, customs, objects, institutions, techni

53、ques, and language that characterizes the life of human community.” What is the relationship between them? When we were children, we probably asked our parents quite frequently: “what does the word mean?” This question indicates that our parents tend to look for its meaning in the word itself. But i

54、t is far more acute to say that meanings are internal and that word only brings the meanings to awareness as required. And a word can elicit many different meanings depending on our background and the context in which the word is used. Take the word “cool” as an example, to one person, it may mean s

55、omething related to weather, to another people, it may mean something that is very nice and trendy. For another example, to Americans, the word dog in most instances refers to a fuzzy domestic pet, but in Hong Kong, dogs are considered to be a culinary amenity and often are eaten or even it refers t

56、o a person who is despicable. Both the examples suggest that a word has many more ideas, feelings and things to represent in different culture, and language can not be separated from culture and the essential distinction of languages is culture. As the English poet Tennyson said, “Words, like nature, half reveal and