跨文化交際課件 L 4 Daily V C,Language

1、Daily Verbal CommunicationLecture 4Learning Objectives Definition of LanguageCharacteristics of Language Variation of LanguageRelationship Between Culture and LanguageWarm-up CasesPart OneWarm-up CasesCase 1 Twelve Cups of TeaWhen I first went to Hong Kong, I had no idea about Chinese tea-drinking a

2、nd found myself caught in a very awkward situation. I visited a Chinese family and was immediately given a cup of tea. I wasnt not thirsty, but out of politeness I finished the cup. But the more I drank, the more I was given. I kept insisting that I didnt want any more, but the host took no notice.

3、. I drank twelve cups. I didnt know how to avoid getting more tea poured. How could you help “I” out of the awkward situation?Case 1 Twelve Cups of TeaChinese can simply leave the tea in the container and stop drinking any more in order to avoid the awkward situation . Because traditional Chinese cu

4、stom requires that during the course of entertaining, the host has to always pour more tea to the guests cup without asking whether it is wanted or not . While, the Americans dont know this. He follows the politeness rule of his culture, for he thinks that it isnt a good manner to leave tea in ones

5、own cup. Therefore, without any knowledge of the differences between the two cultures, an American would suffer from drinking too much in such a situation.Case 2 Have you had your lunch?When I first went to Hong Kong, I had no idea about the Chinese language or the Chinese culture. Shortly after my

6、arrival, I went to the bank on the way to school. I was surprised when the bank clerk asked me if I had had my lunch. I proceeded to school and was even more surprised when one of the teachers asked methe same question, I was puzzled asto why they kept asking it, maybe they concern my health. Only l

7、ater did I find out that it is a merely greeting.Case 2 Have you had your lunch? In western culture, “Have you had your lunch?” would be regarded as an indirect invitation to lunch between unmarried young people, it indicates a young mans interest in dating a girl. Westerners have a very strong sens

8、e of privacy, They are easily offended by comments which seem to invade their personal lives, so such greeting is uncomfortable to them. In Chinese culture, such question has no real significance at all, it is merely a greeting to show Chinese peoples hospitality. Therefore, without any knowledge of

9、 the differences between the two cultures, a westerner would regard this greeting as a request for information and as an invasion of their privacy. Case 3 Sitting DownW: (Showing Chinese the sofa) Sit down, please.C: No, no. I will sit here. (Moving towards a chair)W: Oh, do sit over here on the sof

10、a.C. No, no. This chair is perfectly all right.Case 3 Sitting DownWesterners usually sit wherever the host points to or where they themselves like to sit, regardless of the kinds of seats there might be. While, choosing to sit in a less comfortable place is a sign of modesty in China. In Chinese cul

11、ture, it is normally the elderly or superior man who gets the best service, because hierarchy is prevalent, it is the elderly or the superior can get the respect from others, and they have rights to sit comfortably. Case 4 Li Hongzhangs Embarrassment Li Hongzhang was invited to visit USA. Li hosted

12、a banquet for the American officials in a popular restaurant. According to Chinese custom, he said, “I am very happy to have all of you here today. Though these dishes are coarse and not delicious and not good enough to show my respect for you, I hope you will enjoy them.” The next day, the English

13、version of his words was shown in the local newspaper. To his shock, the restaurant owner flew into a rage. He thought it was an insult to his restaurant, and Mr. Li intentionally damaged the reputation of the restaurantCase 4 Li Hongzhangs Embarrassment This case shows the differences on modesty be

14、tween Chinese and Americans. From Chinese perspectives, what Li said is just some formulaic polite expression common in type; almost all Chinese people know this and could hear that nearly everywhere. From literary meaning, the words are inappropriate, but they do convey the meaning of respect. The

15、language form is different from its content, a phenomenon only found in the Eastern culture. However, Chinese modesty cant be understood by Americans, for they tend to comprehend what they hear literally, and America is a country with highly valued individualism and they express themselves rather di

16、rectly. So the clash is inevitable. 5.Different Attitudes Toward a Fly in a Beer1.Englishman would ask for another one cup of beer.2.Frenchman would pour the beer out.3. Spanish would put money on the table and leave silently .4. Japanese would summon and criticize the waiters.5. Arab would buy the

17、waiter a drink.6. American would ask the waiter to serve the fly and beer.5. Different Attitudes Toward a Fly in a Beer Peoples different reactions toward a fly in a beer reveal not only their individual personality but also the orientation of their nation s mainstream culture, Peoples social intera

18、ctions vary because of different cultural backgrounds. the Englishs seriousness, the Frenchs arrogance, the Spanishs generosity, the Japaneses criticism the Arabs sarcasm, the Americans humor Case 6 Borrow and Lend Money One day I was eager to buy a book, so I borrowed three dollars from an American

19、 classmate. Before he lent me the money, he asked me three times, “Are you sure you will return the money to me?” Four days later, he kept reminding me about the loan until I paid him back the money. Weeks later he borrowed $30 from me and said he would pay me back in a week. But one month, there wa

20、s no sign of returning, so I reminded him. To my surprise, he said, “Im sorry, why didnt you remind me earlier? ” and returned the money instantly. How do you comment on this case? Case 6 Borrow and Lend Money Americans dont willingly give money to others nor others readily. If you lent money genero

21、usly, and said , “Dont mention it, you dont have to pay me back.” he would be angry and think you were looking down to him, not believing his ability to repay the money. From Chinese perspectives, they want to show their great generosity, They take borrowing and lending money more seriously. Chinese

22、 hope Americans can pay back on time, for it has something to do with ones credit. Part TwoVerbal CommunicationI. Definition of Language The entire process of human communication must be viewed as a whole that combines verbal and non-verbal messages. In addition, both verbal and nonverbal systems re

23、quire a sender and a receiver to make a completecommunication.How to define language? Language is an organized system using signs that carry intentional meaning from one person to another. Its composed of linguistic forms and meanings, which is based on a series of grammatical and pragmatic rules.II

24、. Characteristics of Language Human language has four characteristics: 1.Language is symbolic. 2. Language is rule-governed. 3. Language is subjective. 4. Language is dynamic and has its own life cycle. II. Characteristics of Language1.Language is symbolic. It stands in place of “reality”. The same

25、reality can be represented by different symbols. Different language systems use different symbols to stand for the same reality. e.g. We use “pancake” to represent something that can satisfy physical hunger. When we are really hungry, of course, we dont eat the symbol “pancake” (餅)but the real food.

26、 II. Characteristics of Language2. Language is rule-governed. Each structural level of human language is regulated by its own grammatical rules and principles. The rules or principles of human language are not universal. Different language systems regulate their structures in different ways. e.g. Sh

27、e practices playing piano at home every evening. S V O Adv of place Adv. of time 她每天晚上 在家 練習(xí)彈 鋼琴。 S Adv. of time Adv. of place V O II. Characteristics of Language 3. Language is subjective. Meanings of the language reside in people, not in words. The meanings of a language are dependent on cultural

28、experience rather than on the words themselves. e.g. The students from Russia claim that their country is a “democratic” one. But American students may argue that only western democracy is a real democracy. No matter who is right or wrong, the meaning of “democracy” depends on their experience and u

29、nderstanding. II. Characteristics of Language 4.Language is dynamic and has its own life cycle. No language is fixed or unvarying, all languages must constantly undergo changes and variations. (1)Change in a language is based on the concept of time. e.g. We have old, medieval and modern English. “ha

30、th”, “thy”, “thee”, (in Hamlet) are changed into “have”: “you”. (2)Variations refer to the differences in the pronunciation, spelling, or usage of the same language by different group of people. A.E.apartmenteggplantelevatorsweaterfirst floorB.E.flataubergine liftpulloverground levelIII. Types of Hu

31、man LanguageThere are hundred of different languages throughout the world and throughout history. Stewart(1962) defines seven language types. 1. Standard 2. Classical 3. Vernacular 4. Creole 5. Pidgin 6. Artificial 7. MarginalIII. Types of Human Language1. Standard:A language spoken by educated nati

32、ve speakers with formal grammatical and lexical norms. e.g. English, French, Japanese etc. 2. Classical :A language that used to be a standard language, but now it has no native speakers, and it is only studied academically. e.g. Latin, Wen Yan wen, Hebrew, etc. III. Types of Human Language3. Vernac

33、ular (dialect)方言，地方話:(1)A regional dialect is usually developed in a certain geographic area. e.g. Shanghainese, Sichuanese etc. (2) Social dialect is a distinct form of a language spoken by people belonging to a specific socioeconomic class. e.g. The spoken English by the working class is different

34、 from that of the middle and upper class.(3) Ethnic dialect is a distinct form of a language spoken by members of a specific ethnic group. e.g. Yiddish English is associated with speakers of Eastern European Jewish ancestry. 中東歐猶太人使用的源于德語，借用希伯來的土語III. Types of Human Language4. Creole:克里奧爾化語，混合語 A la

35、nguage that has developed from the “fusion” of different languages. Creoles develop when two or more language communities come into contact and need to develop a common language. Creole languages have native speakers who use them as native languages. e.g. Cajun French, Australian Aboriginal Creole.

36、Haitian Creole（海地人講的法語） is based on French and Louisiana creole.III. Types of Human Language5. Pidgin (Contact language )混雜語 A simplified language containing vocabulary from two or more languages. It is used as a way of communicating by people who dont speak each others languages. e.g. “Long time no

37、 see. is an expression of a pidgin expression coined by early Chinese immigrants in US. e.g. Papua New Guinea Pidgin 巴布亞混雜語 Nigerian Pidgin English 尼日利亞混在英語 Hawaiian Pidgin 夏威夷混雜語 III. Types of Human Language6. Artificial A complete language intentionally created with formal grammatical rules for sp

38、ecific purposes or communities. Artificial language has no native speakers. e.g. Esperanto世界語: an artificial universal language devised in 1887, based on roots from the chief European languages. III. Types of Human Language7. Marginal: Incomplete languages or codes (usu. based on another language )u

39、sed among small communities. Marginal languages have no formal rules and no native speakers. e.g. African-American EubonicsPart ThreeThe Relationship between Language and CultureGeneral Introduction There is a close relationship between culture and language. It is impossible to understand a culture

40、without taking into account its language; and it is equally impossible to understand a language outside of its cultural context. Because language is not neutral codes and grammatical rules. Each time, we select words, form sentences, and send a message, either oral or written, we also make cultural

41、choices. Culture influences language and language influences culture in a number of ways. The Relationship Between Language and Culture 1. Language and culture are closely related, each influencing and shaping the other. To learn a foreign language implies to learn the culture in which it is spoken.

42、 A language can never be learned in a cultural vacuum. Culture is learned through language. Without language as the medium for formal or informal instruction, no culture could ever be learned. The Relationship Between Language and Culture 2.Language is part of culture and plays a very important role

43、 in it. Language is a carrier of culture and container of information. It can reveal the changes of culture and culture itself. It is also the product of society. Without language, culture would be impossible. The Relationship Between Language and Culture 3. While culture is the connotation of the l

44、anguage, and sets the limitation to the language. Language is influenced and shaped by culture.In the broadest sense, language is the symbolic representation of a people, and it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds as well as their approach to life and their way of living and thinking

45、. The Relationship Between Language and Culture 4.Human beings interact with the world and accumulate their experience and knowledge about the world which are represented in language. As a result, we can find in language all human knowledge and experience which are interpreted as cultural informatio

46、n. Without language as a carrier and container of cultural information ,human would have to experience everything personally, and the experience and knowledge couldnt be passed on to others and the younger generation. Each one and each generation would have to struggle anew for knowledge about the w

47、orld.The Relationship Between Language and Culture 5. The most obvious relationship between langue and culture is seen in vocabulary. The vocabularies of all languages are elaborated in the direction of what is considered adaptively important in that culture.(1) Language as a reflection of the environments. Language reflects the environment in which we live. We label things that are around us. (2) Language as a reflection of values. Language r