中西方文化的差异在英语教学中的重要性

江西省宁都县东山坝中学 李洁民

摘 要

本文对中西方文化的差异进行了一些浅浅的分析。并且在文中指出了了解中西方文化的差异在英语教学中的必要性和重要性。利用文化背景知识教学不仅有助于提高英语阅读能力、口语交际能力、激发学生的学习兴趣，也能帮助学生准确地理解、把握、运用英语知识，提高学习效率。

Abstract

I analyzed the cultural differences of the China and Western country in this text. And point that it is so necessity and importance to understand the cultural differences in English teaching. Like this ,not only contribute to improve the reading、 speaking and to arouse the students’interesting ,but also to help them understand 、grasp、 exert the English knowledge ,and to improve learning efficiency.

关键词 ：文化差异；英语教学；阅读能力;交际技能;学习兴趣

前 言

在中学的英语教学中,虽然在新课标的推行下,教学重点有所转移。但学生学习的兴趣依然没有提高。经过了几年教学我发现,利用文化背景知识教学不仅扎实了语言基础知识，也拓宽知识，了解了世界文化知识.使学生在学习语法知识的基础上拓宽视野，进一步培养学生听、说、读、写、译的基本技能,并且能在课堂上加以提高口语交际能力。这样英语课堂就活跃起来啦.而当前的英语教材题材广泛、内容丰富，涵盖了西方社会的历史、地理、文化、民俗等广泛的背景知识，如果不把一些相关的文化背景知识向学生作一定的介绍，很难讲清楚教材的内容，学生也不容易准确掌握其思想内涵。

一 认识中西方文化差异的重要性

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语言是社会的产物，是人类历史和文化的结晶。它凝聚着一个民族世代相传的社会意识，历史文化，风俗习惯等各方面人类社会所有的特征。不同的文化背影和文化传统，使中西方在思维方式，价值观念，行为准则和生活方式等方面也存在有相当的文化差异。而外语教学的目的是要打好扎实的语言基础知识，进行认真严格的听、说、读、写训练的基础上，培养为交际初步运用外语的能力。而交际能力离不开对所学语言国家文化的了解，学习一种语言必须要学习这种语言所代表的文化思想。因此，我们学习语言必须要掌握中西方社会文化背景知识。如果不掌握这些知识，就不能真正具备交际能力，这是我们自主教学的根本目的所决定的。但这并不意味着在重视运用英语能力的同时，轻视英语语言知识的培养。因为语言知识是运用语言进行交流活动的基本材料，缺乏基本的材料，运用语言进行交际活动就难以实现，培养为交际运用语言知识是建立在掌握语言知识基础上。

因此，语言知识只有通过运用才能获得巩固和掌握，反过来掌握语言知识规律的体系能提高运用英语的能力。既然将培养学生的交际能力定为外语教学的根本目的，那么，我们的一切教学活动必须围绕这个目的进行。所以对于我们这些英语教师来说，教会学生正确使用语言，有时要比教会他们语言知识更重要。这就要求我们外语教师从第一天起，就要随时注意让学生了解和掌握东西方的两种交际文化的差异，应把这种识别和介绍与语言教学同步进行，持之以恒，只有这样才能培养我们学生真正具备交际能力。

二、 语言与文化的关系

要了解和掌握两种交际文化的差异，必须先从文化谈起，显然这里所说的?文化?二字与?他没有文化?中的?文化?有所不同，与英语中的Culture一词不达意(狭义指文学、音乐、美术等)的涵义也不一样。我们这里所说的?文化?的涵义更广泛。语言是文化的一部分，并对文化教起着重要作用，正美国著名人类学家古迪纳夫在《文化人类与语言》中指出：?一个社会的语言是该社会的文化的一方面，语言和文化是部分与整体的关系。语言作为文化的组成部分，其特殊性表现在：它是学习文化的主要工具，人在学习和运用的过程中获得整个文化。? 由此可见，语言与文化互相影响，互相作用；理解语言必须了解文化，理解文化必须了解语言。因此，学习一种语言就意味着必须要了解使用该语言的那个民族的社会文化。如果忽视了语言教学和社会文化背景知识教学的统一，不仅影响对语言的理解和掌握，而且在交际过程中常常 2

造成语言的误用。外语教学不仅要介绍语言知识并进行?四会?技能训练，更应注意把这种学习与训练放到文化教学的大背景中进行，最终使学生具有运用能力。因为对于这些学生来说，得体的语言运用将对他们的今后的工作是非常重要的。

三、 文化背景知识在教学中的作用

1、 了解中西方文化差异有助于英语阅读能力的提高.

了解西方文化背景知识，有助于英语阅读能力的提高。英语阅读能力是一项综合技能，英语阅读文章的题材多种多样，既包括大量的语言、语法等基础知识，又包含了丰富的文化背景知识。缺乏相关背景知识是阅读过程中的一个主要障碍之一。有时即便没有生词和语法障碍，仍弄不懂文章的意思。如下面的对话：

A― Are you English?

B― No, I'm not, I'm from Britain . So, I'm British.

English 严格地说是指 people of England( 英格兰人 ),Britain 包括 England, Scotland, Wales 和 Ireland, 因此也就有了 English( 英格兰

人 ),Scottish( 苏格兰人 ), Walsh( 威尔士人 ) 和 Irish( 爱尔兰人 ) 。 又如朋友请你去吃饭，对你说：? I'll meet you at McDonald's?. 这就是说? You will go Dutch? 即 each person pays for himself( 各自付账 ), 而并非去荷兰。如果对方说 ?I want to take you to lunch at Johnson's? 则表示他将 pay the bill for both of you( 一方付账 ) 。掌握了这些的背景知识，才能准确地理解这些话。所以了解中西方文化可以让学生准确的获得有效信息，为学生的答题提高了准确性和有效性。

2、了解中西方文化差异能阔宽学生的知识面.

了解中西方文化有助于阔宽学生的知识面，使学生的学习不只局限于课本知识。比如说：在讲到英语上的信件这个话题时，?Dear?这个单词在英文里是‘亲爱的‘意思。讲到这的时候。学生都不由自主的笑起来。我意识到这个问题需要解释一下。外国人在表达感情的时候是比较直接的。而我们中国人相反，是不轻易表露自己的，对感情更为含蓄。Dear 在这里只是一种有礼貌的，客气的一种谦语。并没有特别的含义。学生听了之后就明白了。

3、 了解中西方文化差异有助于提高交际技能.

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在与人交际时，我们中国人讲求?卑己尊人?，把这看作一种美德，这是一种富有中国文化特色的礼貌现象。在别人赞扬我们时，我们往往会自贬一番，以表谦虚有礼。西方国家却没有这样的文化习惯，当他们受到赞扬时，总会很高兴地说一声?Thank you?表示接受。由于中西文化差异，我们认为西方人过于自信，毫不谦虚；而当西方人听到中国人这样否定别人对自己的赞扬或者听到他们自己否定自己的成就，甚至把自己贬得一文不值时，会感到非常惊讶，认为中国人不诚实。例如：

A：Oh，you look beautiful today！

B：Really？This is my favourite skirt。Thank you！

设想一下，如果B的回答为?Oh，not at all。Actually，I don’t think so。?将会产生怎样的场景？

4 、了解中西方文化差异有助于引发学生的学习兴趣.

介绍文化背景知识可以激发学生学习英语的兴趣。青少年对新鲜事物的好奇心很强，要充分启发学生的好奇心，这是学生学习的内驱力。西方的许多文化背景，其实赋予了许多神秘的异国色彩。在教学过程中适当渗透与学生身边的日常生活密切相关的英语国家的文化知识，有益于学生了解英语国家的思想理念，领略到风格不同的异域文化风情，感受到不同国家的风俗习惯，从而引发他们学习英语的兴趣，提高他们的文化修养，达到英语教学的目的。 例如在牛津版初中英语7A第三单元中有一课是讲述西方如何庆祝万圣节的，这个很典型的西方节日，很多学生听起来都很熟悉，但是究竟为何要庆祝这个节日，为何采用如此的庆祝方式教材中未提到，这就需要我们英语老师为学生提供相关的背景知识。相传很早的时候，在基督纪元以前，凯尔特人在夏末举行仪式，感激山苍个太阳的恩惠。当时的占仆者点燃并施巫术以驱赶据说在四周游荡的妖魔鬼怪。后来，罗马人用果仁和苹果来庆祝的丰收节，便与凯尔特人的10月31日融合成万圣节。在节日里人们挨家挨户去讨取食物，为节日做准备。获取这些知识，能增强学生学习的趣味性，引发学生对西方文化的好奇和探究，让语言的学习更立体化。

5、 了解中西方文化差异有利于活跃英语课堂.

了解西方文化背景知识，有助于引发学生的学习兴趣。在教学过程中，对文化背景知识的介绍可以引导学生自然而然地进入学习状态。如九年级的一个英语话题在讲解之前，我首先问学生这句话出自那个球星之口，立即引起他们的兴趣，在回答出 4

Michael Jordan 之后，又让他们对这一人物做简要介绍，课堂气氛顿时活跃起来，当然教师对于部分知识可进行必要的补充，整个课文的学习是在轻松热烈的气氛中进行的，同时也掌握了一些相关词汇，如： NBA （美国职业篮球赛） , Chicago Bulls( 芝加哥公牛队 ),world championship( 世锦赛 ) 等，取得了很好的教学效果。

结 论

外语教学的目的是要打好扎实的语言基础知识，进行认真严格的听、说、读、写训练的基础上，培养为交际初步运用外语的能力。因此，我们学习语言必须要掌握中西方社会文化背景知识。如果不掌握这些知识，就不能真正具备交际能力，这是我们自主教学的根本目的所决定的。但这并不意味着在重视运用英语能力的同时，轻视英语语言知识的培养。因为语言知识是运用语言进行交流活动的基本材料，缺乏基本的材料，运用语言进行交际活动就难以实现，培养为交际运用语言知识是建立在掌握语言知识基础上。因此，语言知识只有通过运用才能获得巩固和掌握，反过来掌握语言知识规律的体系能提高运用英语的能力。既然将培养学生的交际能力定为外语教学的根本目的，那么，我们的一切教学活动必须围绕着个目的进行。所以对于我们这些英语教师来说，教会学生正确使用语言，有时要比教会他们语言知识更重要。这就要求我们外语教师从第一天起，就要随时注意让学生了解和掌握东西方的两种交际文化的差异，应把这种识别和介绍与语言教学同步进行，持之以恒，只有这样才能培养我们学生真正具备交际能力。

总之，语言和文化是不可分割的，中西方文化差异带来的英语学习障碍是多方面的，并且渗透到教材和英语学习的其他领域中去。因此，在英语教学中，教师对西方文化背景知识进行介绍，使学生对文化的差异有进一步的了解是相当重要的，这不但能激发学生的学习兴趣，提高课堂教学效率，也是正确理解、把握和运用英语的关键之所在。

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参考文献

[1]邓炎昌刘润清《语言与文化》，外语教学与研究出版社，2001。

[2]顾曰国，跨文化交际[M]。北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000。

[3]胡文仲，超越文化的屏障[M]。北京:外语与外语教学出版社,2004。

[4]顾江禾，东西方文化对比小议。《太原重型机械学院学报》，20xx年第22卷第4期，279-282。

[5]华厚坤，试论跨文化语境下的大学英语教学。《黑龙江高教研究》，20xx年第6期，153-154。

[5]吴锋针，中西习俗文化?冲突?。《绥化师专学报》，20xx年第1期，90-92。

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第二篇：论中西方谚语的文化差异

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1 The Definition, functions of Proverb

1.1 The definition of proverb

Proverb is a kind of sayings. It prevails in the community with concise words. Most proverbs reflect the practical experience of working people's life and are generally passed down orally. (Available: /view/23790.htm，2010) It is mostly spoken in the colloquial form of phrases or rhymes easy to understand. And proverbs are to some extent similar to idioms, twisters, common sayings, and aphorism.

1.2 The functions of proverb

The functions of proverbs are that they express some rules of conduct and quite often convey some advice or counsel. In other words, most proverbs possess philosophic depth or instructive function. For thousands of years they have been instructing and inspiring people,

so they have been regarded as the guideline of people’s thoughts and deeds, which means people are thinking or doing things by following the direction of their proverbs either consciously or unconsciously. Proverbs have become important sources of inspiration just because they contain truth, wisdom, counsel, rule of conduct, etc. Following will mention two functions of proverbs.

1.2.1 The phatic communication

The phatic function of proverb is the most basic function of language. People use the phatic proverbs to create an atmosphere of greeting or maintain social contact rather than exchange of information. It is to ease the atmosphere of the

conversation, at the same time get the talkers satisfied psychologically.

1.2.2 Cultivation of mind and formation of behavior

Some proverbs are intended to persuade and teach people. To persuade is to praise justice, to fight against the bully. To teach is to guide people to adopt a correct attitude towards life, to take a proper way to get along well with others. For example, better die with honor than live with shame; don’t have cloak to make when it begins to rain.

1.2.3 Perception of the weather

The proverbs concerning weather refer to a long history, vast regions, and rich content. Many of them can be used to make long, medium and short-term weather forecasts. Our ancestors have accumulated rich experience in the struggle with the nature of the observed changes in the weather.

1.2.4 Summary of the life experience

Many proverbs summarize knowledge of people’s daily life such as the best wine comes out of an old vessel; Soft fire makes sweet malt. As people’s daily life is complicated and extremely trifling, such proverbs are numerous. They summarize people’s knowledge in their life and they tell people what to do and how to do it. They are just like an encyclopedia to guide people’s daily life. Peasants of different ages have some of them as guide in their farming. And meteorological proverbs, which summarize the fundamental meteorological knowledge of generations, are also a big help in people life. For example, April showers bring forth May flowers; A cold May and a windy makes a full barn and 3

a finny; Dry August and warm does harvest no harm; A fair day in winter is the mother of a storm; A misty morning may have a fine day; Cloudy mornings turn to clear evenings（/books/sep4ubr.shtml，2011）.

2Cultural Difference between English and Chinese Proverbs Proverbs are originated from life experience and culture and they are summarized in several types. Proverbs and culture are inseparable. Language is influenced by our culture and reflects the culture. Proverbs are the essence of language; its contents are brilliant, deep in meaning, and have a broad appeal to the masses. As Bacon said "Proverbs are genius and the embodiments of wit and spirit.” Proverb is the summary of the daily life throughout the whole nation, as well as the summary of work experience. It also reflects a country and its rich cultural connotations. As a language, the unique charm of proverb lies in its mysterious essence of the national culture, which not only reflects a common national culture but also reflects their personality. Moreover proverbs reflect the cultural differences through the living environment, customs, religious beliefs and moral values and other factors, which give us a total prospect of the different culture in the west and China.

2.1 Different ways of life

Geography determines the way of life. Chinese people live in semi-enclosed continental geography, where the climate mild. Its own self-sufficient peasant economy can meet the needs of people's life, so people believe that the harvest can not do without the natural gifts, and pay attention to the unity of heaven and 4

humanity. While Greece is the birthplace of Western culture, where the geographical environment is Open Ocean, people need to do long-term struggle with the harsh nature. So people in the West develop a scientific tradition of conquering the nature and exploring the nature. The open geographical environment enables more contacts with the outside world, resulting in the developed industry and commerce.

3.2 Different religious beliefs

Religious belief is an important aspect of people's mental activity, which has a major impact on the national culture. As nations in history, geography, politics, economic aspects have their own characteristics, resulting in a unique national culture. The similarities and differences in Ethnical culture are often reflected in the national language, especially reflected in the cultural significance of the proverbs. So studying the different Chinese and English religious thought and ideas in proverbs can help us gain a deeper understanding the diversity of western and Chinese language culture.

3.2.1 Belief of Christian in the western countries

Christianity is the monotheistic religion, with the Bible of the Old and New Testaments, which is in the belief of the original sin of human and believe Jesus is the Son of God crucified to cleanse the human original sin and the save the humanity . Christianity originates in Judaism, and is called the world’s three major religions together with the Buddhism and Islam. There is only one Christian church in the earliest, but in the historical process of Christianity, it 5

differentiates into many factions, mainly three factions Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant, and some other smaller factions.

Everyone is equal and the obsession of hierarchy is strict. Christian views that only the people have faith in god enjoying the equal rights and obligations. Faith makes all people equal. This equality under the cover of Emmanuel theology has two meanings. So many English proverbs reflect the equal relationship. For example, we are all Adam’s Children; human blood is all of a color. Under the concept of equality, the people in English-speaking countries surly will defy the imperial power. For example, a king without teaming is but a crowned ass; a cat may look at a king（. /lunwen/xfwh/a/5904/785904.html，2011）

3.2.2 Beliefs of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism in China

Buddhism originated in India and was introduced into China during the Han and Tang Dynasties. Buddhists believe that all things are born for fate in the world. There is no essential difference between living beings and the Buddha. Human has the Buddha nature, but the persistently delusional barrier prevents it appear. Only people abandon the evil from the good can they have the fruition of Buddha hood and be immortal. For example, the Chinese proverb 放下屠刀，立地成佛。 Buddhists also believe that in human life, wealth and fame are worldly possessions. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in China are not the supreme god; however, the interpersonal relationship is hierarchical. Each plays their Social role and can not be offside. While under this Hierarchical level, it 6

provides the possibility to create idols and idolatry.Forexample,小鬼斗不过阎王，胳膊扭不过大腿；官大一级压死人，宰相家人七品官；官向官，民向民，和尚向的是出家人（陈文伯，2005：105）。

3.3 Different moral concepts

Morality exists in every culture, is a force of national cohesion and the core of development .in Western countries the Christian morality is the basic moral core, while in China the Confucian moral system works. However, the Chinese have low requirements of credit, cheating has become almost a generally accepted means for survival, while the western people value the credit more than anything else

3.3.1 Different values of the public reputation

Chinese people attach great importance to face and honor. The reputation is often linked with the ethical. A moral person will have a good reputation. But the moral people will lose face too. Chinese people are influenced by the traditional concepts; they not only value reputation but also the face. For example, 人有脸，树有皮，没脸没皮没出息。Because care about the face problems, what Chinese people are most afraid of is rumors pernicious to their own. Many Chinese proverbs express the mentality of fear of gossip, such as谣言可以杀人，防人之口甚于防川；水浮不起石子，人担不起闲话（陈文伯，2005：87）。

The western traditional moral concept considers the reputation to be very important and people should behave their own behaviors. But as long as they do 7

not harm society and other people, it is not against the law. What others' judgments are not important? Therefore, when the English proverbs are related with the gossip, it is not afraid to mention about it. For example, Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me; hard words break no bones.

3.3.2 Different concept of filial piety

Chinese traditional concept is that supporting the parents is the children’s most basic obligation which is based on the concept of people's gratitude .Everyone is born by the parents, and grows up under the meticulous care of their parents. The objective fact is that the creation and maintenance of life generates the sense of gratitude. That is to say one should make every effort to support his parents as his parents grow old. It includes listening to their parents, be with the parents, respect for parents, foster parents and old, inheriting the parents and so on. There are many proverbs in Chinese showing the contents of filial piety. For example, 父母在，不远游;千里烧香，不如在家敬爹娘；不孝有三，无后为；养儿防老，积谷防饥。

In the western morality of capitalism, although it also requires the children to respect their parents, the emphasis on following the advice of the parents is not reinforced. Meanwhile it never considers the couple without children as an unfilial offense. Some proverbs in English express the opposite idea. For example, children suck mother when they are young, and father when they are old. It is opposite to the concept of fostering to make guarantee for the life; 8

Children when they are little make parents fools, when they are great make them mad. It goes against the Chinese filial piety (/books/sep4ubr.shtml, 2011).

3.3.3 Different status of women

In Chinese feudal society, the women suffer more oppression. A woman was not only subject to her father, but also to the husband. Even she had to be obedient to the child when her husband died. They are not able to take the same education as men. The low status, which didn’t allowed them accessing social networking sites. Wife must keep chastity, faithfulness, even if her husband is dead and she can not remarry. There is no right to love, and feelings are completely ignored. Many proverbs reflect discrimination against women. For example, 唯女子与小人难养也；女人头发长，见识短；好马不吃回头草，好女不嫁二夫君。 In western capitalist society, although men are dominant, the status of women is higher than that in the feudal society of China. Some Proverbs in English even emphasize the importance of the wife to her husband. For example, He that would thrive must ask his wife; He who does not honor his wife, dishonor himself; a good wife is a good prize; a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. These proverbs praise the good role of wife to her husband and reveal the wife's high status in the family. Meanwhile they make a sharp contrast with the low status of women in the Chinese feudal society.

Conclusion

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The proverb is a product of society, which is the crystallization of human history and culture. It embodies the social consciousness of a nation from generation to generation, as well with history, culture, customs and other areas all features of human society. In different cultures and cultural traditions, the way of thinking, values, codes of conduct and way of life are considerably different. The proverb, the carrier of culture, vocabulary and cultural information is concentrated and an important part of language, which reflects the cultural development and change, but also a direct reflection of the cultural differences. We can see that proverb has a long history; the majority of them are from the folk. But the proverb is just a channel to understand the cultural differences between Chinese and western culture. To strengthen the comparison of cultural differences, we can make full use of a variety of means to absorb and experience the exotic culture by collecting some items and pictures of English-speaking countries. Only in this way can we understand the foreign art, history and customs.

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Bibliography

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