How to avoid Errors in English and Chinese Cross—cultural Communications

郝思佳

1. Introduction

We are living in a world where learning， understanding and using foreign languages is very necessary. Owning to that， wed better master the usage of foreign languages. However， language learner often fails to convey what should be expressed and make errors. Owning to that， the question of how to solve the errors in cross-cultural communication is very vital. In this thesis， suggestive information will given to handle cross-cultural communication errors comprehensively.

1.1 Definitions of culture

The research on cross-cultural communication can not pay a deaf ear to the question that what culture is. There are various definitions. “Culture may be defined as what a society does and thinks. （Sapir）” “Culture is that which binds men together. （Ruth Benedict）” Based on the above points of view， we can get the point that culture is shared， learned， dynamic， hidden， integrated， ethnocentric， transmitted， interrelated and values are the core of culture.

1.2 The relationship between culture and communication

Communication cultivates our life， and our life is guides by our culture. In other words， communication is a product of culture. Different kinds of communication represent different culture patterns from the total of human experience. The pattern of communication deeply depends on the characteristics of the culture. The lack of well understanding of culture would lead to improper errors. To some degree， we may admit that culture is the basis of communication and communication is a process of encoding and transmitting culture.

2. Definitions of cross-cultural communication errors

The concept of cross-cultural communication errors was first proposed in 1983， which is to define the inability to understand people from different culture background in inter-cultural communication. Cross-cultural communication errors fail to convey the true meaning of ones mother tongue.

3. Suggestions for Cross-cultural Communications

3.1 authentic materials

In order to master foreign languages successfully and effectively， people have to learn the target language by reading authentic， native， real， practical materials. There are many learning materials concerned with foreign language learning， such as books， newspapers， magazines， films， tapes， E-books and so on. All these materials can do great help for students to broaden their views toward customs， culture， psychology and social factors of native English speaking countries.

3.2 task-based approach

Task-based learning maintains five characteristics： to highlight the learning process； the second is to get real information of the target language； the third is helping students enjoy the learning process； the forth is enhancing learners experiences and thoughts in learning； and the fifth is linking the knowledge learned in class with outside the class. It is a good way of leading students to set up practical and specific goals of their study. Therefore， in order to have a successful， natural， interesting and effective communication with the target language， those skills closely connected with language learning and using. By employing task-based approach， students are not only aware of those language words， but also be aware of the atmosphere or context of the language， to improve the competence of communication.

3.3 a sense of context

Context is a very important factor in learning a language. Without context， a sentence or a word means nothing. Thus， the awareness of context has to be highly raised in real use of a language. When learning a text， the awareness toward the individual sentences is not enough. Learners should also consider about the writers motivation， background， writing style and so on. As the same， when participating in a cross-cultural communication， both the speakers and the hearers should consider the affecting factors in communication. I hope the college students should use these suggestions in their learning.

4. Conclusion

With great development of industrialization， information and economic globalization， cross-cultural communication is becoming more and more frequent. Countries have set up different courses to learn different languages. However， breakdowns and misunderstandings often appear in cross-cultural communications. Hence， a good mastery of language competence is badly in need. In order to help people to communicate it is advisable to study with authentic materials. At last， language learners have to pay much attention to the context.

References：

[1]Brown，P，&S.Levinson.Politeness;：Some Universals in Language Usage[M].Cambridge： Cambridge University Press，1987.

[2]Crystal，D.A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics[M].Oxford： Basil Blackwell，1985.