The negative transfer of native culture in intercultural communication

Rui Jing

【Abstract】In intercultural communication， the negative transfer of native culture is a universal phenomenon that may induce communicative barriers， misunderstandings and even conflicts. This paper touches upon the nature and causes of the negative transfer of native culture， and elucidates cultural empathy as one way to diminish such negative transfer with the purpose of improving intercultural communication quality.

【Key words】negative transfer； native culture； intercultural communication

Introduction

Culture is embedded in all aspects of humans and human lives. In intercultural communication， culture marks a person， where he comes from， what he believes， how he behaves and of course， how he communicates with others. As Edward T. Hall （1977） presented， “culture is communication， communication is culture”. The two are combined together closely so that while communicating with people from other cultures， one tends to show his own culture unconsciously. And he is apt to observe and judge others behavior according to his native cultural conventions. As a result， the negative transfer of native culture will emerge， directly influencing the efficiency of intercultural communication.

The nature of cultural negative transfer

Originating from the field of psychology， the term “transfer” means that during the learning process， one kind of study will affect another kind of study. It can be divided into two categories—positive transfer and negative transfer. If one kind of study promotes another， it is called positive transfer. And if interference or inhibition， it is negative transfer. “Cultural transfer” is relative to native culture， referred to as the phenomenon that when acquiring the target language or carrying out intercultural communication， people resort to the habit of native language and culture to think and express.

Similar to the definition of “transfer” in psychology， “cultural transfer” can be explained as the effect of one culture on another culture. Moreover， “positive transfer of culture” and “negative transfer of culture” are identified. When the culture of native language and that of target language have something in common， native culture knowledge will benefit target language learning and communication in target language. That is cultural positive transfer. When native language culture differs from target language culture to a large extent， native culture knowledge will hinder target language learning and communication in target language. And that is cultural negative transfer.

Causes of cultural negative transfer

In order to decrease the negative impact led to by negative transfer of culture in communication， it is necessary to get some knowledge about the causes of cultural negative transfer.

1. Social factor

Undoubtedly， cultural diversity is the root of negative transfer of culture. Different nations differ in geographical circumstances， historical contexts， folk customs， thinking modes， moral standards and religious beliefs. They altogether shape uniqueness of every culture. Scholars think that intercultural communication is communication between people with varying cultural cognition and symbol systems which are powerful enough to change communicative events. Immersed in one culture， utmost identification with mother culture implies utmost neglect of other cultures， resulting in ethnocentrism that induces people to lose capacity of discrimination. Thus， cultural negative transfer comes about， impeding successful communication cross cultures.

2. Psychological factor

As a complicated cognitive psychological process， cultural negative transfer itself results from not only the impact of mother culture but learner characteristics. The transfer of mother culture is an indispensable mental stage of cultural learning. Psycholinguistics believe that any acquisition of new knowledge and technique is influenced by previous ones. In the context of intercultural communication， communicators may well draw upon mother culture to understand and explore target culture， continuously making hypotheses and testing hypotheses. Prior to target culture learning， mother culture has been deep-rooted， which propels people to consciously or unconsciously perceive， compare， absorb and transplant target culture in the model of their own culture. Once disparity comes out， cultural negative transfer follows.

The way to minimize the negative transfer

The critical point of minimizing negative transfer of culture lies in that people can break the restraint of mother culture and make attempt to accept and adapt to other cultures. In actual practice of intercultural communication， cultural empathy is an effective strategy and it requires people to observe the moderate principle.

“Empathy” derives from aesthetics and is later on introduced to intercultural communication. So called “cultural empathy” means that the participants consciously shift their cultural position， perform beyond the pattern of their own culture， get rid of the constraint of native culture， and place themselves in another cultural pattern， achieving the purpose of true feeling and comprehension of another culture through active dialogue and equal appreciation. On the one hand， communicators need to be considerate to put themselves into someone elses shoes； on the other hand， the principle of moderation should not be ignored. People must be alert to total abandon of native cultural identity and excessive adaptation to target culture. To maintain the moderation of cultural empathy is to acknowledge diversity and equality of cultures and reach a balance between keeping self-cultural identity and adapting to other cultures.

Conclusion

The negative transfer of native culture is pervasive through intercultural communication. It is by nature an adverse interference with foreign culture due to rich deposits of ones mother culture. It is unwise to exaggerate shock and collision generated by the negative transfer， but we have to realize that such impact can be lowered by virtue of moderate cultural empathy. With the strategy of cultural empathy as a mediation， the construction of a bridge for effective communication between native culture and target culture will be possible.

References：

[1]Chen，G.M.，Starosta，W.J.2007.Foundations of Intercultural Communication.Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.

[2]Dai，W.D.，H.L.Zhang.2000.Cultural Transfer in Foreign Language Communication and Its Enlightenment for Reform of Foreign Language Education.Foreign Language World，no.2.

[3]Fa，X.Y.，M.J.Xin.2011.The Negative Transfer of Culture and Moderate Cultural Empathy in Intercultural Communication.Academic Forum，no.5.

[4]Hall，E.T.1977.Beyond Culture.New York：Anchor Doubleday.