语言学电子教案.ppt

语言学 2 . the relationship between language and culture - Language is a part of culture. - Language is the primary means for cultural transmission. - Some linguistic differences are due to cultural differences. - Various cultures will have different responses to the same word. Example A Fly in a Beer If in the dinning hall, a fly was seen in a glass of beer …… An Englishman, “May I have another, please?” A Frenchman, pour the beer out. A Spanish man, put the money on the table and leave without a word. A Japanese, summon the manager and criticize, “Do you do all your business like this?” An Arab, give the beer to the waiter and say, “I’ll buy you a drink.” An American, “Please serve the fly and beer separately. If the customer likes the fly, he could put it into his beer himself.” The case above shows that social interactions may vary greatly owing to different cultural backgrounds. Comment： In this case, people’s different reactions reveal not only their individual personality but also the orientation of their nation’s mainstream culture, e.g. the English’s seriousness, the French’s arrogance, the Spanish’s generosity, the Japanese’s critical approach, the Arab’s sarcasm and the American’s humor. 3. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (SWH)萨丕尔—沃尔夫假说(认为语言结构决定人类思维方式及行动方法的假说)[亦作 Whorfian hypothesis] Our language helps mould our way of thinking and , consequently, different languages may probably express our unique ways of understanding the world. 4. Linguistic evidence of cultural differences 1. Greetings and terms of address 2. Thanks and compliments 3. Colour words 4. Privacy and taboos 5. Rounding off numbers 6. Words and cultural-specific connotations 7. Cultural-related idioms and proverbs Example LiHongzhang’s Embarrassment Li Hongzhang, one of the top officials in the Qing Dynasty, was invited to visit the United States. He was warmly welcomed. One day, Li was hosting a banquet for the American officials in a popular restaurant. As the banquet started,