On the differences between Chinese and western communication terms

chinese abstract

With the social and economic development of China, international exchanges and cooperation are getting closer and closer. The process of communication between people with different cultural backgrounds is cross-cultural communication. Language is the most basic and important medium for cross-cultural communication. Therefore, as a foreign language learner, while learning a language, we should also fully understand the culture carried by this language. It is an indisputable fact that language and culture are closely related. Language is the carrier of culture, and the process of learning a foreign language is also the process of understanding the cultural background knowledge of the destination country. Mastering the cultural background knowledge of the destination country directly affects a person's ability to use language knowledge, which is the premise of proper use of language. Starting with the relationship between language and culture, this paper briefly analyzes the differences between Chinese and western daily communication terms and reveals the differences between Chinese and western cultures. This paper expounds that language learning is cultural learning, emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the cultural differences between China and the West, and introduces several methods to understand the background and cultural knowledge of English-speaking countries.

Keywords: cross-cultural communication, language and culture, cultural differences between China and the West, overcoming communication barriers

On the Differences between Chinese and Western Communicative Expressions

abstract

With the development of China's economy, international exchanges and cooperation are getting closer and closer. The process of communication in which people from different cultural backgrounds participate is cross-cultural communication. Language is the most basic and important medium for cross-cultural communication. Therefore, as a foreign language learner, we should fully understand the culture of the language. There is no doubt that language and culture are closely related. Language is the carrier of culture. The process of learning a foreign language is also a process of understanding the culture of this country. Mastering the cultural background knowledge of the country directly affects a person's ability to use the language. Is a prerequisite for the correct use of language. This paper discusses the relationship between language and culture. Then, it reveals the differences between Chinese and western cultures by analyzing the differences between China and westerners' daily expressions. It clarifies that language learning means cultural learning, and emphasizes the importance of paying attention to this cultural difference. The article also introduces several ways to understand the cultural background of English-speaking countries.

Keywords: cross-cultural communication, language and culture, cultural differences between China and the West, overcoming communication barriers

I. Introduction

In recent years, with the in-depth development of China's reform and opening-up, especially after its accession to the WTO, contacts with countries all over the world have become increasingly frequent, and people have begun to attach importance to economic and cultural exchanges with different countries and nationalities. The process of communication between people with different cultural backgrounds is cross-cultural communication. (Hu Wenzhong, 1999) National culture has its own soil, development history and status quo of group identity. Different geographical environments and different historical backgrounds determine different cultural status quo. Different cultural status quo means different customs and different codes of conduct. In China, there is an invisible cultural barrier between people and westerners, which makes cross-cultural communicators unable to decode correctly in communication, resulting in communication barriers.

As an important medium of cross-cultural communication, language has a very close relationship with culture. American linguist Rosalie Maggio said in his article "Unbiased Language: Some Guidelines": "Culture shapes language, and language shapes culture." ("Language not only shapes culture, but also is shaped by culture." ) [1] (p 91) Language is an important part of culture, a carrier of culture and plays an important role in culture. The formation, development and change of language are influenced by culture. On the one hand, language is the cornerstone of culture-without language, there is no culture. On the other hand, language is influenced by and reflects culture. "Through the language level of a nation, what is displayed in front of us is the colorful cultural form of this nation, as well as its thought, way of thinking and way of life. Because culture has distinct nationality, the cultures of different nationalities will naturally have great differences. This cultural difference will inevitably be presented in the language. " [2](P82-83) At the same time, culture restricts the form of language, constantly injecting its own essence into the language, enriching and updating the cultural connotation of the language, and making the language more accurate and meticulous. In a word, language and culture are interdependent and inseparable. Due to the emergence and development of language, human culture can be produced and passed down. There is no culture divorced from language in the world, and there is no language divorced from specific cultural background and connotation. Learning a language requires learning a culture, and vice versa.

Second, the differences between Chinese and Western expressions in daily communication.

China and the West (especially China and Britain and America) use two different languages-Chinese and English, and each language reflects its own unique cultural background and dignified historical tradition, so there are many differences in language expression. This paper focuses on the differences between the most common life expressions in Chinese and western language communication.

(A) the differences in appellation

The first condition of normal communication is to address each other correctly and appropriately. Proper address can narrow the psychological distance between the two sides and make the communication go smoothly. In Chinese and western cultures, due to the different language expressions, address forms are also very different.

The first thing to note is that the order of Chinese and western names is different. "In China, the surname ranks first, and in Britain and the United States, the first name ranks first." [3](P30) Therefore, people in China often unconsciously use "surname" to address westerners instead of "first name". If you see the name Jim Green, you can call it "Green" or "Mr. Jim". Westerners will feel uncomfortable hearing such a name, but it should be "Jim" or "Mr. Green".

In daily communication, China people pay more attention to etiquette, generally speaking, after addressing. According to each other's identity, relationship with themselves and different occasions, different kinship terms and social terms are used. Its title pays attention to respect. In the west, people pursue equal and intimate interpersonal relationships. Whether in formal or informal situations, they like to call others by their first names (such as Tom, Joey, Peter, etc.). This practice is especially common among Americans, even when they meet for the first time, they can call each other by their first names, not only among people of similar age, but also among people of different ages. No disrespect at all. Even children can call their grandparents and parents by their first names, and people of different social status can also call them by their first names. For example, students don't think they are disrespectful or too casual to teachers and employees, but they think they are friendly and easy to treat people. It can be seen that "China people are used to the types of inequality, while Westerners advocate equal address." [4](P53)

"China people can use kinship terms when addressing family members, relatives or neighbors." [5](P30) For non-relatives, children address their elders as "uncle", "aunt" and "uncle"; It is common to address peers as "big brother" and "big sister". However, "the words used to express kinship in English are generally not used to express non-kinship." [6](P30) If an elder whose mother tongue is English is called "Uncle Green" or "Aunt Brown", the other person may feel uncomfortable. Because in English culture, such kinship terms are only used in very close relationships, without "surname" and only with "first name", such as "Uncle Tom". You can also use "sir", "madam" and "miss/lady" before your surname or directly use "sir" and "madam". Moreover, the kinship of China people is more specific. The most typical example is that in Chinese, there are uncle, uncle, uncle and uncle, but in English, the word "uncle" is used to express it; In Chinese, there are names such as Auntie, Auntie, Auntie and Auntie. And English is only represented by the word "aunt"; Another example is cousins in Chinese, and the word "cousin" in English also includes all appellations. Who do these three words refer to? You can't know until you know the situation at that time.

In addition, in China, people's hierarchy is deeply rooted. To show respect, people's titles and social status are often added to surnames, such as "President Guo", "Yang Jingli", "Director Zhou" and "Teacher Liu".

Wait for questions. The appellations such as President Guo, Yang Jingli, Director Zhou and Teacher Liu are not in line with the habits of British and American people. In the west, only a few occupations and positions can be called. For example, a professor can be called a professor; A doctor or a person with a doctorate is called a doctor; Governors and mayors can be called governors, majors and so on. In English, this form of occupation/title+surname is used in a narrow range and is very limited. Westerners don't like this title and think it's hypocritical.

(B) differences in greetings

Whether in China or abroad, it is a common courtesy to say hello to friends or acquaintances. Due to the differences between Chinese and western cultural traditions and customs, their greetings and habits are quite different.

China has a strong food culture. Since ancient times, there has been a proverb that "food is the most important thing for the people". Therefore, people in China like to use "Have you eaten?" Say hello to each other, but this greeting has actually lost its literal meaning, not asking for information, but just a way to say hello. So it doesn't matter whether the answer is "eaten" or "never eaten". However, if literally translated into English, "Have you had dinner?" Greeting westerners, according to their cultural customs, means inviting each other to dinner; If men ask women, they express their desire to make friends or date. However, when Chinese people say this sentence, they usually don't mean "invitation" or "date". Another common greeting in Chinese is "Where are you going?" "Where have you been?" These two sentences are a way of greeting in Chinese, not really wanting to know where people are going. Therefore, the other party can give an answer at will and will not feel embarrassed. However, if you greet westerners in the same way, "Where are you going?" "Where have you been?" Westerners often interpret it as a question of asking for information, which will make them feel embarrassed or even angry, and they will feel that the speaker is interfering in their private affairs. Although they don't say anything, they may think in their hearts, "Why do you ask these questions? It's none of your business. "

There is also a kind of "China's greeting", that is, when you see what others are doing. [7](P97) For example, people in China may say, "Are you washing a car?" It is natural and normal for China people to hear such greetings. But say to westerners, "Are you cleaning the car?" He sounds strange and awkward. I will think to myself: why do you ask such a question when you clearly see me washing the car? This is sheer nonsense.

Perhaps because the British and Americans pay more attention to efficiency, Chinese people are not as enthusiastic as China people. In the same situation, common greetings are generally simple, such as "Hi", "Hello" and "How are you?" Or "Good morning!" Good afternoon! Good evening! Wait a minute. Sometimes they talk about the weather, for example, "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Come and say hello to each other. But China people think these greetings are too foreign and unfamiliar, so they are seldom used.

(C) differences in farewell terms

Usually, when people communicate, they don't break up suddenly, and they don't leave in a hurry without sending any signals. Before I leave, I always use some farewell words to show that I want to leave. People in China usually say "goodbye" when they break up. It is equivalent to "goodbye" and "goodbye" in English. However, before saying goodbye, goodbye or goodbye, we should also say some polite words. Due to the different social and cultural customs between China and the West, farewell words also have their own characteristics.

"In China's farewell etiquette, people often attribute the reason of farewell to the other party." [8](P7 1) For example, when people from China visit other people's homes, they will say goodbye with "I have to go, you must be very tired". ("I'd better go now. You must be very tired. " ) or "You have to get up early tomorrow, so I should go." You must get up early tomorrow. I should go now. " ) and so on. However, "if an American visits another American's house, he will probably find a reason to say goodbye to himself instead of to his host" [9](P7 1), such as "Well, I'd better let you sleep for a while." ("Well, I have to let you rest." ), "Tomorrow, I have to get up early. I must go now. " ("I have to get up early tomorrow. I should go." ) or: "I have to go. I will go to work tomorrow. " ; "I must say goodbye. My wife is waiting for me at home. " And so on. As Allen Marley said, "In a typical western context, speculators will naturally find reasons for leaving that are related to those hosts rather than those hosts." Besides, you can also use "We have to say goodbye now. We enjoyed the party very much. Thanks a lot. " ("We can't go to never say goodbye. We had a good time tonight. Thanks a lot. " I think I'd better leave now. Nice talking to you. It was nice talking to you. ") and other farewell words of thanks. The British and Americans think this is more appropriate. However, such farewell words are generally not used in China.

According to the custom of China people, if a guest comes to visit, when the guest leaves, the host should send the guest to the door. The guest will say "please stay" and "don't send it far" to the host, and the host will say "go well" and "walk slowly"

None of such polite expressions can be directly translated into English. If you use "stay here" and "don't come"

Please continue with me. "Wait, say goodbye to the British and Americans, they will feel embarrassed. Because they didn't intend to send you too far at all. Don't think that they will send you far unless you invite them. It is not that westerners are unfriendly, but that they have no such habit. If you say "take your time". " "Walk slowly. For foreign guests, their reaction may be: "Why should I walk slowly?" ("Why should I walk slowly? " )。 Foreigners think "walk slowly." "Walk slowly. "As a request. In fact, this is just a common way of saying goodbye in China. In this case, the British and Americans often send their guests to the door and say, "Come again when you have time." Come again when you are free. ) or "Give my regards to your parents". Give my regards to your parents. " )

In addition, when China students ask their teachers questions and the problems are solved, China students may say goodbye to their teachers like this before leaving: "I'm sorry for wasting so much time, I should go." This is a self-deprecating courtesy, just showing respect for the teacher. But if the teacher is a westerner, he/she will feel embarrassed.

He/she will think that in your heart, his/her help is just doing something useless. He/she will feel very unhappy and will never help you again. In fact, at this moment, China students only need to say, "Thank you for your help! I think I should go. Goodbye! " Do it.

(d) Differences in responses to compliments and compliments

"British and American people's thinking patterns are mostly linear and like to express directly; China people's thinking patterns are mostly spiral, and they like euphemistic and implicit expressions. " [10](P49) Therefore, when foreigners communicate with China people, they are often surprised to find that when they praise or compliment China people, China people are always at a loss, too modest or belittle themselves, and even repeatedly deny it, instead of expressing their thanks in words calmly like foreigners.

For example, when someone praises you and says, "What beautiful clothes you are wearing!" ("What beautiful clothes you are wearing!") Modest China people will probably say, "No, no, it's just a very orderly dress." ("No, no, it's just a very ordinary dress." ) or "no, actually I have worn it for several years." ("No, actually, I have worn it for several years." Another example is when others praise or compliment your ability or skill, such as "Oh, your English is really good." ("Your English is great." ), "Your handwriting is beautiful." ("Your handwriting is really beautiful." )。 Whether these two compliments are true or not, China people usually deny them and may say, "Well, just so-so." ("just so-so." ), "No, you flatter me." ("No, you flatter me." ); Some even belittle themselves with such words: "Oh, no, my English is poor. I must study hard. " ("Oh, no, my English is not good. I still have to work hard. " ), "no, no, not at all. You are joking. " ("No, no, it's not beautiful at all. You're kidding." )。 On the contrary, Westerners usually openly accept such compliments and compliments and say, "Thank you!" "Show that you think the other person's praise is sincere, and what you praise is commendable.

Under the above circumstances, because westerners don't know much about China's traditional culture with modesty as its virtue, the answer to China's modesty is often unacceptable, and China people are considered impolite. Sometimes China people's excessive modesty is considered as a sign of dishonesty. Therefore, we should understand the habit of British and American people to respond to compliments and compliments, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in the process of communication between China and the West.

(E) differences in table language

Please pay attention to the cultural differences between China and the West when inviting guests to dinner, otherwise it will cause jokes.

The people of China are hospitable. When they invite guests to dinner, they usually put a table full of dishes. But no matter how rich the dishes are, they always say modestly, "There is nothing to eat. If the dish is not ready, please help yourself. " However, when British and American people hear such polite words, they will feel very disgusted: "Why invite me when there is nothing to eat?" If the food is not cooked, why should it be served to me? According to the custom in China, in order to show politeness, it is customary to persuade guests to eat more, while people in China often "insinuate" and say, "I'm full, no need. " ; It was not until the host invited him again that he said slowly, "Respect is better than obedience. ".However, British and American people are generally not so particular about entertaining guests. Three or four simple dishes are enough. When eating, the general host will say, "Help yourself!" ("Please eat. "That is, you can eat whatever you want. It is impolite for British and American people to treat guests with respect for personal wishes, pay attention to seeking truth from facts, repeatedly ask guests if they want food, or force food on them. So, when the host adds food to you or asks you what you want, for example, "Do you want another piece of meat pie? ("Do you want another piece of meat pie?" ), if you want to eat, you can directly answer: "Yes, please!" Or "thank you. A meat pie. If you really don't want to eat anything, just say "no". Thank you. "When having a meal, guests must praise the delicious food prepared by the host and the good craftsmanship of the host, otherwise, no matter how full you are, the host will be unhappy. Typical English humor is:

Guest: It's delicious. It's delicious. This meat is very tender. This meat is tender and delicious. )

Thank you. I'm glad you like it. Thank you. I'm glad you like it. )

Some China people who don't know the habits of British and American people are very polite when visiting their homes. As a result, they invite you once, at most twice, thinking that you really don't want to eat. The second question asked by British and American people is often: "Are you sure? No trouble. " ("Really? It's no trouble at all. " ) Note that this is the last invitation. No matter how polite you are, you can only drink northwest wind In addition, British and American people think it is uncivilized to leave food on the plate after eating, so they would rather ask for less for the first time and not have enough to eat, but they can generously say to their hosts, "Oh, this is delicious." ("Oh, this is delicious." ) I'd like a few more dishes I just ate. The host will be glad that you like their food.

(vi) Differences in topic selection

Cross-cultural communication is usually carried out through oral communication. Many foreign language learners also want to communicate with foreigners to practice their English. However, because they can't choose the right topic, they are often rejected by foreigners.

In China's private conversation, even when we meet for the first time, we often like to take age, family situation, home address, physical condition, salary and marital status as the content of the conversation to show our concern for each other. However, these are all personal privacy in the eyes of westerners. In western countries, "it is considered inappropriate to emphasize the protection and respect of personal privacy and pry into other people's affairs." As an English proverb says, a man's home is his castle. It means that a man's home is his castle, which is sacred and inviolable. Westerners don't understand: "For thousands of years, the vast majority of China people lived in rural areas, and a few lived in small cities. They live in groups, often meet, take care of each other, and talk about almost everything. " [12](P87) However, these phenomena are rare in western industrial society. People have a strong sense of independence, do not interfere with each other and pay great attention to privacy. No matter in the city or in the countryside, "a good fence makes a good neighbor" (Robert Frost) Therefore, when talking with British and American people, you should choose the right topic and avoid asking such questions as "Where are you from?" "How old are you?" "How many children do you have?" "Are you married?" "How much do you earn?" "What religion do you believe in?" "How much is your watch?" "Where did you buy your shoes?" And other issues, so as not to make westerners feel that their personal privacy has been violated or their feelings have been hurt. In the west, the initial topic of people chatting together is the weather, because the weather in Britain and America is changeable, which has a great influence on people's life and work. In addition, the weather is a neutral topic, and no matter how we talk, it doesn't involve each other's privacy. Apart from the weather, British and Americans often talk about sports, work, study, hobbies, holiday arrangements, international situation, movies/TV programs, etc. When communicating with British and American people, you can choose the above topics, and I believe there will be no small gain.

Third, learn the background and cultural knowledge of the destination country and overcome the obstacles of cross-cultural communication.

From the above analysis, we can see that language and culture are closely related, and there are huge differences between Chinese and western cultures, and these cultural differences have an important role and influence on cross-cultural communication. In order to get rid of cultural differences and achieve success in cross-cultural communication, we must pay attention to learning and mastering the background cultural knowledge of the target language country. The author thinks that we can strengthen our understanding of the background and cultural knowledge of English-speaking countries by the following methods, so as to overcome the obstacles in cross-cultural communication.

(1) Clarify the relationship between language and culture, and establish the concept that language learning is cultural learning.

Language is the most important tool for cross-cultural communication. Language reflects culture, and culture permeates language. Language and culture are interrelated. (High) The relationship between language and culture is so close that it is impossible to correctly understand, master and use a language without understanding its culture. Therefore, while learning English grammar, morphology, syntax, text structure and other language rules, we should also pay attention to the study of cultural background knowledge of English-speaking countries.

(B) extensive reading to accumulate the background and cultural knowledge of the target language.

For most people, understanding the cultural knowledge of English-speaking countries mainly depends on reading relevant materials indirectly. Usually, you can read more modern English literature and original English novels, and read more English newspapers (such as China Daily and Times) and English magazines (such as English World and English Learning). ), read more articles and books introducing the background and cultural knowledge of western countries. In addition, while reading such books, newspapers and magazines, we should also pay attention to and accumulate information about national habits, social customs, social relations, values and thinking patterns, and constantly learn and accumulate background and cultural knowledge of English-speaking countries.

Watch more English movies, TV and videos to absorb foreign culture.

Foreign language learners can feel the culture of English-speaking countries more intuitively by selectively watching some meaningful English TV, movies and videos. For example, families who want to know about America can choose to watch the first 1ST season of Growing Pains; If you want to know about social culture, you can look at "All over America" published by Peking University Press. When watching movies, we should pay attention to the content of the dialogue, the way of speaking and the scenes of daily life, and observe the gestures, expressions, behaviors and actions of the characters and other ways of communication besides language. Pay attention to find and collect all aspects of cultural knowledge from the content shown in the film.

(D) actively think in English, and better understand the culture of the target country from the language.

Different nationalities in China and the West have different ways of thinking because of their different cultural backgrounds. A nation's way of thinking is widely and profoundly reflected in its language. Therefore, while learning and using the English language, we can actively think in English and have a deeper understanding of the culture behind the language. For example, I want to express "I met a high school classmate I haven't seen for years at the entrance of the theater last Friday" in English. The linear thinking in English is to express my thoughts directly, put the main points at the beginning of the sentence, and then make various supplements. Therefore, we can clearly know that it should be expressed as "last Friday, I met my high school classmate at the gate of the theater, which I haven't seen for years." Then we can dig deeper. It is reported that this way of thinking is mainly due to the fact that in the west, "the capitalist free competition system has formed a social fashion of the law of the jungle, which makes the capable strongmen respected, while those who lack self-confidence are not reused" [13](P30), thus forming a straightforward personality that westerners like to express directly. If foreign language learners can use English thinking when reading English books or communicating in English, they can not only better grasp the correct English expressions, but also more easily grasp and understand the background culture of English-speaking countries.

(5) Compare and classify cultural differences to facilitate learning and memory.

On the basis of learning and mastering foreign cultural traditions, customs, values and ways of thinking, foreign language learners can analyze the differences between them and their own cultures, so as to have a clearer understanding of both foreign cultures and their own cultures. For example, when we know some western Christmas customs, such as Santa Claus giving gifts, Christmas holidays, Christmas dinners and family gatherings, we can compare them with China people's habits of celebrating the Spring Festival, such as paying New Year greetings, giving lucky money, taking a winter vacation and having a reunion dinner, so as to better understand the different customs of Christmas and the Spring Festival and their significance to westerners and China people. Another example: Westerners have individualism values centered on themselves, while China people have collectivism values. By comparison, we can know that westerners pay more attention to protecting their privacy than China. At the same time, cultural differences can be classified and collected, which is convenient for memory and application. For example, in the habit of language expression, China people often use such idioms according to their own habits: laughing off their big teeth, spending money like water, playing the piano before an ox, and so on. People in China can understand these idioms, but westerners with different cultural backgrounds will find them strange. This is because I don't know the background and cultural knowledge of English. The correct expression in English is: laugh off your teeth, spend money like water, and play the lute to a cow. If foreign language learners can summarize such idioms, it will not only facilitate their study and memory, but also help them learn many allusions and legends and better understand the culture of English-speaking countries.