Intercultural-communication-1

ZengXiangminEnglishDepartment,CollegeofForeignLanguages,SWJTUGlobalVillageWorldofInternetChang’anintheTangDynasty:OpentotheWorldInterpreter:activeroleintheinterculturalcommunication1.Interculturalcommunication:anintroduction1.1Definingcommunication,culture,andinterculturalcommunication1.2Significanceofstudyinginterculturalcommunication1.3Whatinterculturalcommunicationdiscusses1.4Howinterculturalcommunicationdiscussionisconducted1.1Definingcommunication,cultureandinterculturalcommunication1.1.1Communication1.1.2Culture1.1.3Interculturalcommunication1.1.1CommunicationDifficultyindefiningcommunication:(1)complexnatureofcommunicationsaying“hello”:thousandsofcomponentsareinoperation.Communicationbecomesevenmorecomplexwhenweaddculturaldimensions.Scholarshavetofocusononeaspectofcommunication.(2)controversy:intentionalorunintentionalbehavior?Definition:Communicationisourabilitytoshareourideasandfeelings.Communicationreferstotheshareorexchangeofinformation,ideas,feelingsandsoon.Communicationistheprocessinwhichonepartygivesthemessagethatisreceivedbytheotherparty.Somecharacteristics:(1)dynamicprocess(2)systemicinaspecificsettingorcontextThesysteminclude:place,occasion,time,thenumberofparticipants(3)symbolicSymbolsincludewords,actions,othersounds,light,mark,statue,orevenapainting.(4)consequence(后果)Whenwereceiveamessage,somethinghappenstous.1.1.2CultureOmnipresentnatureofculture:“Thereisnotoneaspectofhumanlifethatisnottouchedandalteredbyculture.”(E.T.Hall,TheSilentLanguage)“Peoplelearntothink,feel,believe,andactastheydobecauseofthemessagesthathavebeencommunicatedtothem,andthosemessagesallbearthestampofculture.”(Samovaretal.2000:34)对文化作广义的理解，我们把文化看作社会成员共同创造并拥有的所有事物现象。文化具有两个最基本的特征：超自然性和超个人性。从外延来看，文化可分为物质文化、智能文化、制度文化和精神文化。物质文化是指人类创造的各种物质产品，如各种生产和生活物品。智能文化是人们拥有的各种科学技术知识，包括各门学科的理论知识和生产技术等。制度文化是制约人们的社会行为的各种制度规范、风俗习惯等，诸如饮食卫生细故、娱乐交往方式等，婚姻形式、亲属关系、家庭财产分配等家庭制度、劳动管理、艺术生产、教育、道德、风俗、宗教、礼仪、法律、政治、警察、军队等社会制度等等。精神文化包括思维方式、思想意识、审美情趣、宗教信仰、道德观念、价值观念等等。(邢福义、吴振国主编《语言学概论》，华中师范大学出版社，2002，第28页。)Variousdefinitions:Cultureisthecomplexwholewhichincludesbelief,art,morals,law,custom,andanyothercapabilitiesandhabitsacquiredbymanasamemberofsociety.(EdwardTylor)Cultureisanintegratedsystemoflearnedbehaviorpatternswhicharecharacteristicofthemembersofasocietyandwhicharenottheresultofbiologicalinheritance.(HoebelandFrost)Variousdefinitions:Cultureisasystemofsharedbeliefs,values,customs,behaviors,andartifactsthatthemembersofasocietyusetocopewiththeirworldandwithoneanother,andthataretransmittedfromgenerationtogenerationthroughlearning.(BatesandPlog)Wedefinecultureasthedepositofknowledge,experience,beliefs,values,actions,attitudes,meanings,hierarchies,religion,notionsoftime,roles,spatialrelations,conceptsoftheuniverse,andartifactsacquiredbyagroupofpeopleinthecourseofgenerationsthroughindividualandgroupstriving.(Samovaretal.)Someimagesaboutculture:Cultureislikeaniceberg.(objectiveculturevs.subjectiveculture)Cultureisoursoftware.(eachofusisprogrammedbyourhomeculture)Cultureislikethewaterafishswimin.(or:cultureisliketheairwebreathe.)Cultureisthegrammarofourbehavior.Characteristicsofculture:(1)Cultureislearned.Welearnourculturethroughproverbs.Welearnourculturefromfolktales,legends,andmyths.Welearnourculturethroughart.Welearnourculturethroughmassmedia.(2)Cultureistransmittedfromgenerationtogeneration.(3)Cultureisbasedonsymbols.spokenwords;writtenwords;nonverbalactionsCharacteristicsofculture:(4)Cultureisintegrated.(notisolated)Cultureis,likecommunication,issystematic.ThecivilrightsmovementintheUS.(5)Cultureisethnocentric.种族[民族]中心主义的Ethnocentrismis“thetechnicalnamefortheviewofthingsinwhichone’sowngroupisthecenterofeverything,andallothersarescaledandratedwithreferencetoit.”(6)Cultureissubjecttochange.(7)Cultureisadaptive.1.1.3InterculturalcommunicationInterculturalcommunicationiscommunicationbetweenpeoplewhoseculturalperceptionsandsymbolsystemsaredistinctenoughtoalterthecommunicationevent.(sometimescross-culturalcommunicationisused.)1.2Significanceofstudyinginterculturalcommunication(1)Thequantityandqualityofinterculturalcontactsa.internationalcontactsinfluenceofglobalizationinfluenceofnewandadvancedcommunicationsystems(e.g.Internet)influenceoftransportationtechnologyinfluenceofincreasingglobalfilmindustryinternationaltensionsandconflicts:misunderstandingandhostility(1)Thequantityandqualityofinterculturalcontactsb.domesticcontactsmigration(immigrationintheU.S.);increasedmobility;expandedtravelopportunitiesinterculturalcommunicationintheeducationalsettings(esp.inter-ethnic/racialcommunicationandinter-regionalcommunicationincollegesanduniversities)(2)BasicrequirementsforEnglish-majors1.3Whatinterculturalcommunicationdiscusses(1)Culturaldiversityinperception:comparingculturaldifferences(2)Interculturalinteraction:verbalcommunicationandnon-verbalcommunication(3)Interculturalcommunication:seekingimprovementsSomecautionaryremarks(1)Culturaldiversityinperception:comparingculturaldifferencesvalues,beliefsandcustomsworldviewscase