英语跨文化交际案例分析

Encounter (1)
U1 The Taxi (P.1)
1. Maybe the taxi driver is trying to cheat Lee. 2. Perhaps there are extra charges for luggage that Lee doesn’t know about. 3. It may be that the driver has included a tip for himself, perhaps because he knows Lee is a foreigner and thinks she doesn’t know that she should tip. 4. One possibility is that there are extra charges for tolls (过路费) that Lee doesn’t know about. 5. It is possible that there is something wrong with the meter, or fares (车费) have recently gone up and the meter hasn’t been adjusted yet.
4. Ms. Kelsen may feel that she only did her duty, so she has done nothing to deserve such a special gift. 5. Ms. Kelsen may feel uncomfortable because she assumes Frank cannot afford to give expensive gifts. 6. Ms. Kelsen may feel that accepting the gift would put her under obligation to Frank. (Most Westerners feel that accepting a valuable gift entails a degree of reciprocity(酬答) .
Encounter (3)
U7 The English club (P.68)
1. Maybe the teacher really isn't very interested in helping Hal and his friends. She was just being polite in offering to help them. 2. Perhaps the teacher is willing to help some, but afraid that she will end up doing most of the work in running the club, so she is trying to minimize expectations. 3. It is likely that the teacher already teaches English all day and doesn’t want to do any more.
Encounter (2)
U2 The gift (P.13)
1. Ms. Kelsen may feel that teachers should not accept gifts, especially valuable ones, from students. (In the West, it is rare for individual students to give teachers gifts, especially expensive ones.) 2. Maybe Ms. Kelsen does not think it right to accept a gift, especially a valuable one, just for doing her duty as a teacher. 3. Perhaps Ms. Kelsen is afraid that other people will find out that she accepted the gift, and they will think she took a bribe.
4. Maybe the teacher would really like to help, but simply doesn’t have enough time for the club. (time demands) 5. The teacher may not be too busy now, but she is reluctant to make a major time commitment before she knows how much free time she will have in her new life. (time demands) 6. The teacher may think the club will be better if students run it themselves. (teacher/student perspective differences)
7. Perhaps the teacher really isn't very interested in helping Hal and his friends. She thinks that in helping her they were only doing their duty, so she doesn’t own them anything. (public and private; official and personal) 8. Maybe the teacher is interested in helping but she believes it is good for students to get the habit of creating their own practice opportunities rather than waiting for the teacher to tell them what to do.
Case study
从中西文化角度分析
1. Telephone courtesy
Kathy and David, a couple from the US, signed a one-year contract to work in China. both were extroverted and soon made some Chinese friends. Before long, people started calling them at home. David was sometimes away on business trips for a few days, and if someone looked for him, Kathy often would find the conversation awkward. “Where did he go?” the caller typically would ask. “Can I pass on any message?” Kathy asked politely, trying to avoid the question. “Is he out of town?” the caller was usually very persistent. “Yes, can I help you in any way?” Kathy tried to be polite, but she could not help feeling uncomfortable.
Revision for the final test
Encounters
at least 5 possible explanations
U10 es (P.99)
1. Perhaps the professor feels that students have a right to have their opinion considered in the grading process. 2. Maybe the professor asks students to give themselves grades because she wants them to reflect on their own performance. She feels students will learn better if they evaluate themselves. 3. It is possible that the professor doesn’t feel grades are very important, and wants to minimize the pressure of grades.
4. Perhaps the professor wants to know students’ opinion of their own work because it will be helpful information for her as she decides their grades. 5. Possibly, the professor values highly the students’ ability of self-reflection. And she believes this is just the best way for them to reflect. 6. Maybe western teachers tend to believe that it is fairer for students if their own voices are included in deciding their final grades.
6. Maybe the driver has included a tip for
himself – an unreasonably large one. 7. Possibly, the driver has included a generous – but not entirely unseasonal –tip for himself, perhaps because he knows she is a foreigner and thinks she doesn't know that she should tip, or cause in the past other foreigners have given him very stingy tips.
Chinese perspective: In China, when someone calls a person who is not home, “where is he/she?” or “where did he/she go?” are natural questions. By asking them, the caller may not necessarily be interested in finding out exactly where the person is. Usually, the questions are asked simply as a way to carry on the phone conversation before hanging up. It is typical Chinese telephone courtesy.