大学英语跨文化交际名词解释

Define the following terms:

1.Culture: it refers to a learned set of shared interpretations about

beliefs, values, norms and social practices, which affect the

behaviors of a relatively large group of people.

2.Intercultural communication: It is communication between

people from different cultural backgrounds, or it refers to

communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication event.

3.Denotative meaning tends to be described as the definitional,

literal, obvious or commonsense meaning of a word.

4.Connotative meaning is used to refer to the socio-cultural

associations of the word.

5.In case of inductive reasoning, one stores a number of

specific instances and induces a general law or rule or

conclusion that governs or subsumes the specific instances. 6.Deductive reasoning is a movement from a generalization to

specific instances: specific subsumed facts are inferred or

deduced from a general principle.

7.Analytical thinking patterns：analyze and dissect things into

elements in order to understand them properly. The emphasis is upon the parts rather than the whole of things.

8.Synthetic thinking patterns：synthesize elements into a unit,

with the emphasis on the “whole”.

9.Verbal Communication：refers to communication done

both orally and in written language

10.Linguistic Determinism: is the idea that language and its

structures limit and determine human knowledge or thought. 11.Linguistic Relativity: holds that the structure of a language

affects the ways in which its speakers are able to conceptualize their world.

12.Nonverbal Communication：involves all nonverbal stimuli in a

communication setting that is generated by both the source and his or her use of the environment and that has potential message value for the source or receiver.

13.Body language：refers to all nonverbal codes which are

associated with body movements. It includes gestures, head

movements, facial expressions, eye behaviors, postures and other displays that can be used to communicate.

14.Monochronic time (M Time)：It schedules one event at a time.

In these cultures time is perceived as a linear structure just like a ribbon stretching from the past into the future.

15.Polychronic time (P Time)：It schedules several activities at the

same time. In these culture people emphasize the involvement of people more than schedules. They do not see appointments as

ironclad commitments and often break them.

16.Taboo refers to some words or actions that are avoided by a

particular group of people，or in certain for religious or social reasons.

17.Euphemism means the act of substituting a mild, indirect, or

vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive.

18.Paralanguage refers to the rate, pitch and volume qualities of

the voice, which interrupt or temporarily take the place of speech and affect the meaning of a message.

19.Individual culture: individuals tend to define themselves by the

extent to which they are different from, rather than similar to

others. People are encouraged to display self-confidence and

assertiveness, disclosure of personal thoughts and feelings.

20.Collectivist culture: place little value on individual identity and

great value on group identity. It has been labeled as “we” culture because basic unit is the in-group or collective.