跨文化交际上课容unit4.doc

(Review 1. What is the Hofstede model of cultural pattern? 2. What is high-context communication and what is low-context communication? How about the major differences between a high-context culture and a low-context one? Unit Four Language and Culture Warm Up Please read the humorous dialogues on page 118, then try to translate them into Chinese. Can they be rendered in Chinese as humorous as the original? Language and Culture Read the article of “How Is Language Related to Culture”. What do you think is the relationship between language and culture? the relationship between language and culture: Culture and language are intertwined相互交错 and shape each other. It is impossible to separate the two. Language is not a matter of neutral codes and grammatical rules. Each time we select words, form sentences, and send a message, either oral or written, we also make cultural choices. Thus, we have to be aware of the cultural implications of the phrase if we want to avoid attributing a very different meaning to it or interpret解释 it literally. Functions of language: e.g. questions: asking for information – information questions a lubricant 润滑剂 to move the conversation forward – social questions Examples: How are you? 吃了吗? The meaning of the words comes out of the context, the cultural usage. Language reflects the environment in which we live. Example: self-introduction of Germans and Americans Language reflects cultural values. Problems: There are no such equivalents between languages, and we translate concepts from a foreign language and culture with words that fit our priorities优先顺序. Therefore to communicate concepts effectively, cultural knowledge is as important as linguistic knowledge. Examples: manana/tomorrow kinship terms 亲属称谓(E C)p125-126 Sometimes different cultures use identical完全相同 words that have rather different meanings. Examples: administration, director, force majeure Language changes over time. Words and phrases that are used commonly at one time m