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1、 A Study of Culture Teaching in Business English Abstract: The application of cross-cultural communication theories to the teaching of business English in the context of Chinese universities should be conducted in such a way that students are able to learn that Chinese and Western cultures exist as
2、different systems, and to understand the fundamental ideas governing the respective cultural entities. By comparison and analysis, business cultural differences are studied at the higher level of cultural thinking. Following the principle of equality, cross-cultural communication will function as a
3、bridge in the exchange of Chinese and Western cultures. One of the major functions of the English language is to convey the culture of its speech community. Hence, the awareness of its business cultural characters will facilitate business English teaching against the Chinese cultural background.Key
4、words: business English; culture teaching; suggestions1 IntroductionEnglish is the dominant language in international business activities and is becoming a very useful tool that every businessperson needs to obtain. The most important function of business English is to communicate. Effective communi
5、cation will help people to achieve business goals. As we all know, English is the accepted medium for international business communication in business setting which concerns the aspect of cross-culture factors among business people from different cultural backgrounds. The underlying business culture
6、 is a “Western European or North American one” (John, 1996: 9) while there are various cultures worldwide. In addition, Trompenaar (1993) comments on cultural diversity in business and discusses seven dimensions of culture which he has found to be significant. Therefore, sensitivity to cultural issu
7、es and a better understanding of cultural differences are important when dealing with business English communication. However many business English courses focus on the language skills rather than the cultivation of the intercultural communicative competence and the students under this situation can
8、not meet the needs of the society. This study will research the business English teaching from an intercultural perspective.2 Business English and its teaching2.1 An introduce for business EnglishBusiness English is not a special language with a special grammar. It is simply the English used in busi
9、ness context. At the first glance, business English may be understood by most of people as the words and expressions that professional people use when doing business. The business English vocabulary comprises of words from trade, finance, accounting, marketing, negotiation and correspondence etc. Bu
10、siness English is also regarded as a “mediating language between the technicalities of particular businesses and the language of the general public” (Pickett, 1989: 5).In the early 1970s, a business specialist vocabulary in English was seen to distinguish business English from general English. Busin
11、ess-related words and terminology intended to the one and only core in learning business English (Ellis Johnson, 1994: 1). Early text-books for business English were to present target specialized vocabulary in the context of a written text that deals with a particular topic. Exercises usually consis
12、t of vocabulary exercises, comprehension questions to the text and selected drill pattern practice.The trends in general English developments focusing on functional areas threw new light on business English teaching. A typical example of functional course for business English is very much likely to
13、present the listening practice in business situation and to demonstrate the functional structures for business communication like telephoning, enquiring and confirming information, and making appointments etc.Business English is especially related to international trade. Many non-native English spea
14、kers study business English with the goal of doing business with English-speaking countries,or with companies located in non-native English-speaking areas but using English as shared second language or lingua franca. Business English means different things to different people. For some, it focuses o
15、n vocabulary and topics used in the worlds of business, trade, finance, and international relations. For others it refers to the communication skills used in the workplace, and focuses on the language and skills needed for typical business communication such as presentations, negotiations, meetings,
16、 small talk, socializing, correspondence, report writing, and so on(wikipedia, 2011).2.2 A review of business English teachingWith the increase of peoples understanding of English and its teaching and learning, the approaches to business English teaching flourished in the 1990s. Many aspects of busi
17、ness English and its instruction have been brought into detailed discussion and analysis. A number of methods have been tested, combined in accordance with a need to develop the communicative abilities. The emphasis on business communicative skills leads to a trend in teaching business techniques li
18、ke negotiating, manipulating meetings, giving presentation and so on. The business English students may become various in English levels and diversified in experiences. There exists an urgent need for business English in both job-experienced employees and pre-experience college students who want to
19、exalt their occupation pursuit or prepare for a better career future.The teaching of business English in the Peoples Republic of China dates back to the early 1950s, when the College for Senior Cadres of Commerce, the rst college of its kind specializing in training personnel for foreign trade, was
20、established in Beijing. The college admitted students to its English Translation program with the goal of producing translators and interpreters in the eld of foreign trade. To this end, students were required to master a foreign language oriented to foreign trade, learn techniques of foreign trade,
21、 and become familiar with Chinas trade policies. The 1990s witnessed a boom in business English teaching in China. The number of colleges and universities offering business English programs increased signicantly. Over the last decade or so, there have been persistent offrts to upgrade the curriculum
22、 for students of business English in China. Partly in response to such input, the curriculum for English majors admitted to the University of international business and economics in 2000 included a range of courses in business subjects; for example, western economics, business ethics, and business l
23、aw. However, the business courses and language skills courses were rather independent in the curriculum. In addition, the language skills courses generally excluded the concern with the culture teaching which is not “hard” enough to be sensed physically but does play an indispensible role in busines
24、s English development for students in this regard.3 Cultural factors in business English teaching3.1 Culture teachingLooking at culture teaching historically, we can identify two stages. Before World War I, it was beginning to be recognized that in order to make sense of a particular language and li
25、terature, some understanding of the country and its people was needed. The study of the history, geography and institutions of the country was regarded as background and complement to language and literary studies. Such a culture teaching also included the great accomplishments of the target communi
26、ty in the arts, music, and drama, as well as in scientific discovery, sports and whatever other achievements that people take pride in. After World War II, the emphasis on combining the teaching of language and culture was maintained and continued in the United States. The belief that understanding
27、foreign culture and comparisons between cultures being necessary components of language teaching was frequently expressed by many language educators not only in the United States but also in other countries. They made great efforts to study the question of how to teach culture in language programs.
28、According to them, culture has been extended to encompass “the way of life of a society”. In other words, the notion of culture in language education has been expanded from “culture with a big C” to “culture with a small c”. Many language educators agree that a distinction between “big C” culture an
29、d “small c” culture should be made and that priority should be shifted from the former to the latter in language education. “Culture with a big C” focuses on the sum total of a peoples achievement and contribution: art, music, literature, architecture, technology, scientific discoveries and philosop
30、hy. “Culture with a small c” includes “the behaviour patterns of the life style of people: when and what they eat, how they make a living, the way they organize their society, the attitudes they express towards friends and their families, how they actin different situations, which expressions they u
31、se to show approval and disapproval, the traditions they must observe and so on.” (Allen & Valette, 1977: 325)During the process of learning culture, to gain knowledge about foreign culture is not the end but the way of understanding ones own culture. Intercultural understanding involves more than t
32、he knowledge of how and why other people think and behave as they do, understanding someone from another culture involves modifying ones own culture. People understand their own culture only after they have begun interacting with someone from another culture and have got some knowledge about another
33、 culture.3.2 The importance of culture teaching in business English After China enters WTO, the value of studying English is recognized among many Chinese and professional people. Understanding of the differences between people from different cultures is of vital importance for the building of harmo
34、nious relationships. With increasing contact between China and the western world, intercultural communication has been greatly strengthened. Kramsch (1993 1) regards the knowledge of culture as the fifth skill for language learners in addition to listening, speaking, reading and writing.More attenti
35、on has been paid to culture teaching to improve intercultural communication competence. A package of sophisticated theories has been developed to integrate language and culture in foreign language classes, but they are not very successful. Even if there is culture teaching in some schools, the propo
36、rtion of culture teaching in foreign language programs is still quite low in percentage. The target culture is mainly confined to cultural knowledge, especially “big C culture”. The problem of how to integrate culture teaching with language teaching remains unsolved.4 How to teach culture in busines
37、s EnglishJust as proposed by Rivers, one of the objectives of teaching a foreign language is “to give students the experience of expressing themselves within another framework, linguistically, kinesthetically and culturally”(River, 1981: 8) Another is “to bring students to a greater understanding of
38、 people across national barriers, by giving them a sympathetic insight into the ways of life and ways of thinking of the people who speak the language they are learning” (ibid). For those objectives, the researcher propose the following suggestions.4.1 To guide students to use Internet for intercult
39、ural business communicationIt is not difficult for an English learner to make English-speaking friends any more thanks to the wide application of Internet. With the popular instant messenger MSN, one can find people from all the English-speaking countries, the native speakers. If one has microphone,
40、 he or she can make oral conversations with foreigners. If a camera is also equipped, their facial expressions can also be visible for better communication. There are many specialized websites for intercultural comparison or friends-seeking. One can get recommended websites from intercultural textbo
41、oks appendix or by powerful searching engines like Google. Multimedia can show real-life material to let students ponder through computer screen. Teachers can control the speed, scripts and etc to make cultural learning easier and fun. When watching negotiation settings, one can sense the tone and b
42、ehavior of the hero or heroine. Power distance and authority relationship, womens status, etiquette, social norms, etc. can be perceived. Some controversy in business settings should be discussed and analyzed under business English teachers guidance.Nowadays, with the increasing role played by China
43、, there are many foreigners who also want to learn the Chinese culture. They have the same desire to know more from a real Chinese native. Chatting with native speakers is fun and fruitful for developing intercultural competence for international communication. When communicating with foreigners, on
44、e should be sensitive to their non-verbal language because watching their facial expressions for signs of understanding, misunderstanding, confusion, etc. can make intercultural communication easier and better.4.2 To put cultural evaluation into business English syllabus and testing systemWith the i
45、ncreasing importance of intercultural competence in business English teaching, current business English syllabus should be modified to meet the requirement of globalization. If cultural education in business English is written in syllabus, business teachers will realize the signal and take any possi
46、ble chance to penetrate intercultural awareness to their students. Fish or fishery, which do you prefer? A qualified business English teacher will teach a student how to learn effectively by themselves. Teachers should develop their own teaching approaches and intercultural knowledge for the purpose
47、 by self-perfection. Business English teachers should develop their own cultural intelligence, and then teach their students. Mrarch (2008) defined cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence is intelligence used to adapt effectively to foreign cultures or people. He points that one is sure to suff
48、er a process from independence honeymoon, cultural shock, superficial adjustment, depression isolation, re-integration compensation and autonomy process if he or she has to move into a different culture. It means business English teachers should develop their own cultural intelligence first under th
49、e direction of syllabus. Current business English tests lay more stress on linguistic competence than communicative competence. Patterns, useful expressions, phrases, professional terms and translation are the main testing items. The form and content of business English test should be improved to encourage teachers and students to pay full attention to the development of intercultural business communicative competence. To test how well the students master the cultural knowledg