外贸英语论文范文(12)
3.3. Cultural Cultivation
In China, people have low awareness in comprehending the importance of cross-cultural understanding. A great number of people think that it is just a general matter of foreign language learning. They think that as long as knowing the existence of the differences of thinking modes, those differences can be easily solved by common sense and habits. However, common sense is not obviously universal; it varies according to de differences of cultural backgrounds. Some normal behaviors in the context of Chinese culture turn out to be abnormal in some other countries. Some polite behaviors in a culture may be considered as rude. Some respectful words may be misunderstood as insulting words. Using common senses in Chinese for foreign languages, sometimes, will be set wrong. Some people think that cross-cultural communication is equivalent to the ability of foreign language listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating. Of course, these abilities are very important as it is the basis of cross-cultural communication, but it is far from the whole problem. Language is the product of culture, which has deep cultural meaning and different audiences. How to express a thought in a circumstance is closely related to the culture. Sometimes, "How to say" and "not say anything" is better than "what to say.” Being able to use grammatically correct language for cross-cultural communication only cannot get along with foreigners well. Therefore, I recommend that students should make use of extra-curricular time in reading English works, such as Western literature, newspapers, magazines, current affairs and other materials to learn cultural knowledge, increase literacy, broaden the horizons of Western culture and improve cross-cultural communication. In addition, a school with foreign teachers must make full use of these teachers in spreading Western culture as they are living textbooks. Students should communication with foreign teachers directly, listen to their reports or lectures which can stealthily affect the students’ common senses.
