英语专业语言学课件unit-9

Chapter9LanguageandcultureWhatisculture?Inabroadsense,culturemeansthetotalwayoflifeofapeople,includingthepatternsofbelief,customs,objects,institutions,techniques,andlanguagethatcharacterizesthelifeofthehumancommunity.Inanarrowsense,culturemayrefertolocalorspecificpractice,beliefsorcustoms,whichcanbemostlyfoundinfolkculture,enterprisecultureorfoodculture,etc.Therearegenerallytwotypesofculture:materialandspiritual.languageandcultureThesamewordmaystirupdifferentassociationsinpeopleunderdifferentculturalbackground,e.g.theword“dog”.Languageexpressesculturalreality,reflectsthepeople’sattitudes,beliefs,worldoutlooks,etc.Theculturebothemancipatesandconstrainspeoplesocially,historicallyandmetaphorically.Culturealsoaffectsitspeople’simaginationorcommondreamswhicharemediatedthroughthelanguageandreflectedintheirlife.Ontheonehand,languageasanintegralpartofhumanbeing,permeatesinhisthinkingandwayofviewingtheworld,languagebothexpressesandembodiesculturalreality;ontheother,language,asaproductofculture,helpsperpetuatetheculture,andthechangesinlanguageusesreflecttheculturalchangesinreturn.Sapir-WhorfhypothesisEdwardSapirandBenjaminWhorf,proclaimedthatthestructureofthelanguagepeoplehabituallyuseinfluencesthewaystheythinkandbehave,i.e.differentlanguagesofferpeopledifferentwaysofexpressingtheworldaround,theythinkandspeakdifferently,thisisalsoknownaslinguisticrelativity.SapirandWhorfbelievethatlanguagefilterspeople’sperceptionandthewaytheycategorizeexperiences.ThisinterdependenceoflanguageandthoughtisnowknownasSapir-WhorfHypothesis.Whatdoyouthinkofthishypothesis?Giveexamplestosupportyourview.FullEmptyEnglish:horseshoeFrench:feracheval——ironforhorseGerman:hufeisen——hoofironTheEskimoshavecountlesswordsforsnow.TheArabs,forcamels.Strongversion&weakversionStrongversionbelievesthatthelanguagepatternsdeterminepeople’sthinkingandbehavior;Weakversionholdsthattheformerinfluencesthelatter.Whichversiondoyousupport?ContributionsofSWH----ThestudyofthelinguisticrelativityorSWHhasshedtwoimportantinsights:Thereisnowadaysarecognitionthatlanguage,ascode,reflectsculturalpreoccupationsandconstrainsthewaypeoplethink.MorethaninWhorf’sdays,however,werecognizehowimportantcontextisincomplementingthemeaningsencodedinthelanguage.LinguisticevidenceofculturaldifferencesDenotativemeaning----ameaningthatcanbefoundinadictionary.Connotativemeaning----ameaningorideasuggestedbyawordorthinginadditiontotheformalmeaningornatureofthewordorthing.Iconicmeaning----theimageoriconinvokedinmindbyaword.Forexample,“rose”.——aflower——love，fragrance,passion,beauty.——imageofaperson:“Myloveislikearedredrose”SomeculturaldifferencesinlanguageuseGreetingsandtermsofaddressThanksandcomplimentsColorwordsPrivacyandtaboosNumbersWordsandcultural-specificconnotationsCultural-relatedidioms,proverbsandmetaphorGreetingsandtermsofaddressHowdoyoudo?Howareyou?VS.你好！Haveyoueaten?VS.你吃了么？KinshipTerms:Uncle,AuntVS.叔叔，阿姨GratitudeandcomplimentsThankyou!American:youarewelcome.Chinese:It’snothing.YouspeakgoodEnglish.American:ThanksChinese:no,no!Colorwords7colortermsinChinese.2insomelanguages.Culturalhintofcolors:white,red.Idioms:greenwithenvy,greeneyes.PrivacyandtaboosAge,family,background,salary.Howoldareyou?Areyoumarried?Howmuchdoyouearn?NumbersCulturalassociations:4,8.Roundingoffnumbers:American:4ouncesinaquarterpound,4quartsinagallon.Age:yearoldsVS.岁Wordsandcultural-specificconnotationsAterminonelanguagethatdoesnothaveacounterpartinanotherlanguage.(大表哥，fatherinlaw.)Termsinbothlanguagesthatappeartorefertobethesamemayarousedifferentconnotations.(dragon,weekend)Thingsorconceptsexpressedbyoneterminonelanguagemaybeexpressedbytwoormoretermsinanotherlanguage.(potato)Termsthathavemoreorlessthesameprimarymeaningmayhaveconsiderablydifferentsecondarymeanings.(你觉得你是个洋芋，其实你只是个土豆)Cultural-relatedidioms,proverbsandmetaphorkillthegoosethatlaysthegoldeneggs”vs.“杀鸡取卵”Coldwordsvs.冷言冷语Constantdroppingwearsthestone.滴水穿石Diamondcutdiamond.棋逢对手Killamanwhenheisdown.落井下石CultureContactAcculturation(同化)(FrenchwordsinEnglish)Assimilation（吸收）(themeltingpot)Amalgamation（混合）(Mexico:Spanish+Indian)CulturaloverlapCulturaloverlapreferstotheidenticalpartsofdifferentculturesowingtosomesimilaritiesinthenaturalenvironmentandpsychologyofhumanbeings.Forexample,thesuperiortendstorefertohimselforherselfbymeansofkinshipterms,suchas“Havedaddy/mummy/teachertoldyouthat?”CulturaldiffusionThroughcommunication,someelementsofcultureAentercultureBandbecomepartofcultureB,thisphenomenonisknownasculturaldiffusion.Onetypicalexampleofculturaldiffusionistheappearanceofloanwords.Thepracticeofobservingholidaysofforeignoriginsandacceptingconceptsfromothercultures.Theattitudetowardsculturaldiffusion(esp.culturalimperialismowingtolinguisticimperialism)ThesignificanceofculturalteachingandlearningLearningaforeignlanguageisinseparablefromlearningitsculture.Weneedtolearnenoughaboutthelanguage’sculturesothatwecancommunicateinthetargetlanguageproperlytoachievenotonlythelinguisticcompetencebutalsothe