Emprical study
Empirical Study on the Integration of Native Culture in English Language Teaching for Non-English Majors in China
Cui-ping Han
Department of Foreign Languages, College of Arts and Science, Yangtze University
Jingzhou, 434020, Hubei, China
Tel: 86-0716-806-8131 E-mail: candyhan2006 @163.com
[Fund project] The stage achievement of the 2010 planning fund project for the research of humanities and social sciences sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Hubei province of China (Project Approval Number: 2010b316)
Received: April 1, 2012 Accepted: May 14, 2012 Published: June 1, 2012 doi:10.5539/ells.v2n2p URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ells.v2n2p
Abstract
The study consists of surveys concerning Chinese culture in English language teaching, which reveal the insufficiency of the input of native culture, the insufficiency of the non-English majors’ ability to express Chinese culture in English and the students’ attitude toward such insufficiency. Based on the results and analysis, it explores reasons leading to this phenomenon, elaborates the necessity of integrating native culture, and offers some suggestions on English teaching practice. By advocating the integration of native culture in English language teaching for non-English majors, the study is to improve the understanding of cross-cultural communication in culture teaching, thus promoting the cultivation of students’ cross-cultural communication competence.
Keywords: English Language Teaching, Native culture, Integration, Cross-culture communication
1. Introduction
Language is the key media for the translating and spreading of culture. For the trend of economic globalization and the hegemony of English, the teaching of English is gaining more and more support and even emphasis in China. The teaching of English has gained an impressive progress in the past few decades. Most students start to learn English in their teenage and keep learning it in
Cui-ping Han
Department of Foreign Languages, College of Arts and Science, Yangtze University
Jingzhou, 434020, Hubei, China
Tel: 86-0716-806-8131 E-mail: candyhan2006 @163.com
[Fund project] The stage achievement of the 2010 planning fund project for the research of humanities and social sciences sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Hubei province of China (Project Approval Number: 2010b316)
Received: April 1, 2012 Accepted: May 14, 2012 Published: June 1, 2012 doi:10.5539/ells.v2n2p URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ells.v2n2p
Abstract
The study consists of surveys concerning Chinese culture in English language teaching, which reveal the insufficiency of the input of native culture, the insufficiency of the non-English majors’ ability to express Chinese culture in English and the students’ attitude toward such insufficiency. Based on the results and analysis, it explores reasons leading to this phenomenon, elaborates the necessity of integrating native culture, and offers some suggestions on English teaching practice. By advocating the integration of native culture in English language teaching for non-English majors, the study is to improve the understanding of cross-cultural communication in culture teaching, thus promoting the cultivation of students’ cross-cultural communication competence.
Keywords: English Language Teaching, Native culture, Integration, Cross-culture communication
1. Introduction
Language is the key media for the translating and spreading of culture. For the trend of economic globalization and the hegemony of English, the teaching of English is gaining more and more support and even emphasis in China. The teaching of English has gained an impressive progress in the past few decades. Most students start to learn English in their teenage and keep learning it in
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