VerbalCommunication.pptVIP

Verbal Communication (2) English and Chinese Languages Cultural Differences in Verbal Communication In this part you are expected to understand some commonly observed differences between English and Chinese verbal communication and learn to make cross-cultural comparisons and analysis in the following aspects: Cultural differences on lexical level Cultural differences on syntactic level Cultural differences on discourse level EFL and language transfer Cultural differences on pragmatic level Cultural Differences on Lexical Level 1. Types of Lexical Meaning 2 types: denotation and connotation. Denotation: the conceptual meaning of the word that designates or describes things, events or processes, etc. It is the primary, explicit meaning given in the definition of a word in a dictionary. Connotation: the emotional or stylistic associations that a word or phrase suggests in one’s mind. It is the implicit, supplementary value which is added to the purely denotative meaning of a word or phrase. Denotation and Connotation Denotative meaning of the word “mother” is “the female parent”. Connotative meaning of the word “mother” is the associations we usually have with the word — “maternal love”, “care”, “tenderness”, etc. So we can have the sentence “the young teacher is like mother to the kids”. Meaning of Words Personal. E.g. “ESL”, “EFL” Cultural. E.g. “snow”, “moon cakes” Cultural differences in lexical meaning occur on both levels of denotative meaning and connotative meaning. 2. Cultural Differences in Denotative Meaning Absence of referent in the speaker or listener’s language “炕”，“节气”，“经络”，“大字报”，“三讲”，“关系”，“太极拳”，“黄梅戏”，“三纲五常”，“玉皇大帝”，“嫦娥奔月” “privacy”, “Thanksgiving Day”, “parliament” For the sake of clarity and accuracy, adequate explanation can be added in translating such words. Overlapping of denotative meaning 3. Cultural Differences in Connotative Meanings Words with same denotation but different connotations e.g. color words, animal words Words with conno