英语本科毕业论文(设计)An Analysis of American Communication Styles.doc

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1、Liaoning Normal University（2010届）本科生毕业论文(设计)题 目： An Analysis of American Communication Styles学 院： 外国语学院专 业： 英语班级序号： 08本科学 号：学生姓名： 指导教师： 2010年5月Table of ContentsAbstract(in Chinese).iAbstract(in English).ii1 Introduction.11.1 Need and Significance of the Study .11.2 Outline of the Thesis .2 Literatur

2、e Review.22.1 Understanding Communication.52.2Understanding Context.2.3The Relationship between Communication and Culture.83 .4 Causes of the Style of American Communication.124.1 Culture and Religion.124.2 Social and historical causes.145 Conclusion. Bibliography . Acknowledgements. 美式交际风格摘要：随着高科技和

3、信息技术的大力发展，人们可以在任何时间，任何地点以最便捷、迅速的方式进行交流。时空仿佛失去了存在的意义。地球上各种肤色的居民，无论身在何处，说着何种语言，都有越来越多的机会相互交流，做生意，交朋友，但是，物理距离的拉近并不能保证心灵的相互靠近。很多情况下，不同文化背景下的人们，虽然用同一种语言在交流，却无法顺畅而愉快地交流思想。这是因为他们缺少必要的跨文化交际知识。正如霍尔（1988：17）所述：“文化即交际，交际即文化。”两者联系如此紧密，以致人们在交际中会有意无意地反映出自己的背景文化。文化间的差异是导致跨文化交际冲突和失败的主要原因。中西方文化最明显的差异之一是交流中语境使用的差异。美国

4、人类学家霍尔在他 1976年出版的超越文化一书中提出，从语境角度，交流可以分为两种，即高语境交流和低语境交流。前者指主要依靠语境交流的模式，后者指主要依靠语言交流的模式。这两种模式存在于所有文化之中，但在社会长期发展过程中，不同文化会对不同的交流模式有所侧重和偏好。因此，就相应地形成了高低语境文化。高低语境文化的概念也是由霍尔在 1976年超越文化一书中提出的。 对论文作了结论并指出了其不足之处。关键词：高语境；低语境；交流模式； The analysis of American Communication StylesAbstract:Since the beginning of 21st

5、century, high and information technologies have shown theirmagic power in shrinking the world. People on the earth, no matter where they live, whatlanguages they speak and what their skin colors are, are now having more and moreopportunities to communicate with each other, doing business, making fri

6、ends and solvingproblems. But the reduction of physical distance cannot make sure that the distance between thesouls is getting closer. Most of the time, people of different cultural backgrounds, thoughspeaking the same language, cannot exchange ideas smoothly and happily for the lack ofnecessary kn

7、owledge in intercultural communication.One of the biggest differences between China and the western world lies in the culturaldifferences in the use of context in communication. According to E. T. Hall in his book BeyondCulture (1976), communication can be divided into two kinds from the angle of co

8、ntext. Thecommunication with the main reliance on context is called high-context communication, whilethe communication relying mostly on language is called low-context communication. The twokinds of communication exist in all cultures, but there does lie a preference of a communicationstyle in the l

9、ongtime social development. Therefore, accordingly, there have developed two kindsof cultures in terms of context differences. They are high-context and low-context cultures,which is also put forward by Hall in his book Beyond Cultures in 1976.Key words: communication styles; low-context; direct 1.

10、Introduction 1.1 Need and Significance of the StudySince the beginning of 21st century, high and information technologies have shown theirmagic power in shrinking the world. People on the earth, no matter where they live, whatlanguages they speak and what their skin colors are, are now having more a

11、nd moreopportunities to communicate with each other, doing business, making friends and solvingproblems, etc.China, with its thriving economy and glorious history of over five thousand years, hasdrawn increasingly more attention from the western world. And, a growing number of Chinesepeople have the

12、 opportunities to go and see what it is like outside China, by studying or workingabroad.But the reduction of physical distance cannot make sure that the distance between the soulsis getting closer. Most of the time, people of different cultural backgrounds, even though usingthe same language, canno

13、t exchange ideas smoothly and happily for the lack of necessaryknowledge in intercultural communication.One of the biggest differences between China and the western world lies in the culturaldifferences in the use of context in communication. According to E. T. Hall (1976),communication can be divid

14、ed into two kinds from the angle of context. They are low-contextcommunication that occurs mostly through language and high-context communication thatoccurs in ways other than language. Davis (1999:56) adds that “Chinese people tend to behigh-context communicators as compared to people from western

15、cultures.” Lets take a look atthe following dialogue given by Davis (Ibid: 104):Ji Bing, a Chinese student, is living with Jeff, an authentic American boy, in his second yearat a small liberal arts college in the U.S. One night Jeff was working on a project that requiredsome artwork. Ji Bing was at

16、his desk studying for a test. Jeffs scissors were just too dull to dothe job, so he asked Ji Bing,Jeff: Sorry to bother you while youre studying, but could I use your scissors for a while?Ji Bing: SureJeff: Thanks, thanks a lot2(Five minutes later)Jeff: Sorry to bother you again, but these crayons m

17、ake this look like kindergarten. You knowthose colored pencils you have? Would it be OK if I use them for my project?Ji Bing: Help yourself.(After another five minutes)Jeff: I must be driving you crazy, but have you got any glue or tape? Promise Ill buy youanother roll.Ji Bing: Use it as much as you

18、 want. I dont need it.Jeff: Appreciate it.(Ji Bing went back to reading. As Jeff was finishing his project he noticed Ji Bing was watchinghim. Then he heard Ji Bing popped out a surprising question in a plaintive tone.)Ji Bing: Are you angry at me?Jeff: Of course not. What makes you think that?In th

19、e U.S., people exchange meanings mainly through language channel, paying lessattention to context. Even in the situation of asking a favor, Americans would not expect a friendto recognize and respond to their wishes without stating them. So, you can see that Jeff felt sorryfor disturbance, but he ha

20、d to state his meaning clearly every time when he wanted to borrowsomething from Ji Bing. This is not the same case in China. Chinese people are more sensitive tothe surroundings. Most of the time, ones behavior, instead of language, indicates his intent, andothers would understand him through the c

21、ontext he has created. In Ji Bings eyes, his reading abook indicates that he didnt want to be disturbed. If Jeff wanted to borrow something from him,after he spoke out his mind for the first time, he could take what he needed later without askingJi Bing again and Ji Bing could understand him through

22、 his behaviors. But, Jeff disturbed Ji Bingrepeatedly, regardless of what he is doing, which is uncustomary to Ji Bing. No wonder Ji Bingconsidered it as a sign of anger.Such problems as mentioned above which take place mainly due to the cultural difference inthe use of context are arising increasin

23、gly in intercultural communication between China and thewestern world. Under this circumstance, as an English major, the author decides to make a studyon the divergences between high-context and low-context cultures based on the classification byE.T. Hall in this thesis, with China as the representa

24、tive of high-conte3the representative of low-context cultures. Hopefully, it could offer some help to the readers,especially to the would-be intercultural communicators.1.2 Outline of the ThesisBefore dwelling on the divergences between high-context and low-context cultures incommunication, the auth

25、or firstly gives a brief literature review of the concerned studies inChapter 2, including the basic definitions of communication, context and high-context andlow-context communications, the relationship between communication and culture as well as abrief history of the study of high-context and low

26、-context cultures.Chapter 3 is the core of this thesis. In this chapter, the author tries to give a thorough andsystematic analysis on the divergences of contextual cultures in the Sino-U.S. interculturalcommunication, based on the classification by E.T. Hall in 1976. This chapter is divided intothr

27、ee parts: the first part gives a brief analysis on what are the different understandings ofcommunication between Chinese and the Americans, which can be considered as the insidestimulus of the outside behaviors; the second part gives readers a systematic and detailedanalysis on the divergences in th

28、e use of context in the intercultural communication betweenChina and the U.S., which is illustrated respectively in the degree of directness, explicitness andformality as well as the individual or collective initiative in decision-making; the last part gives adetailed analysis on the possible influe

29、ncing factors that have led to the development ofhigh-context and low-context cultures, including the social and historical factors, the religiousand philosophical factors, as well as the different internal cognitive processes.Chapter 4 demonstrates specifically the miscommunications caused by the d

30、ifferent use ofcontext with detailed case studies in Sino-US intercultural communication, in order to deepenreaders understanding of the contextual differences.Chapter 5 is the innovating part of this thesis. In relation to cultural teaching, this chaptermainly dwells on two parts: in the first part

31、, the author gives a detailed analysis on thesignificance of the awareness of the divergences in contextual cultures in the communicationbetween China and the U.S., based on the fundamental understanding and discussion ofintercultural communication competence and what to be included in cultural teac

32、hing with theaim of improving intercultural communication competence. In the enhancement of thesignificance, the author makes use of two surveys. One was conducted by Hu Wenzhong to seext cultures and the U.S. as3the representative of low-context cultures. Hopefully, it could offer some help to the

33、readers,especially to the would-be intercultural communicators.1.2 Outline of the ThesisBefore dwelling on the divergences between high-context and low-context cultures incommunication, the author firstly gives a brief literature review of the concerned studies inChapter 2, including the basic defin

34、itions of communication, context and high-context andlow-context communications, the relationship between communication and culture as well as abrief history of the study of high-context and low-context cultures.Chapter 3 is the core of this thesis. In this chapter, the author tries to give a thorou

35、gh andsystematic analysis on the divergences of contextual cultures in the Sino-U.S. interculturalcommunication, based on the classification by E.T. Hall in 1976. This chapter is divided intothree parts: the first part gives a brief analysis on what are the different understandings ofcommunication b

36、etween Chinese and the Americans, which can be considered as the insidestimulus of the outside behaviors; the second part gives readers a systematic and detailedanalysis on the divergences in the use of context in the intercultural communication betweenChina and the U.S., which is illustrated respec

37、tively in the degree of directness, explicitness andformality as well as the individual or collective initiative in decision-making; the last part gives adetailed analysis on the possible influencing factors that have led to the development ofhigh-context and low-context cultures, including the soci

38、al and historical factors, the religiousand philosophical factors, as well as the different internal cognitive processes.Chapter 4 demonstrates specifically the miscommunications caused by the different use ofcontext with detailed case studies in Sino-US intercultural communication, in order to deep

39、enreaders understanding of the contextual differences.Chapter 5 is the innovating part of this thesis. In relation to cultural teaching, this chaptermainly dwells on two parts: in the first part, the author gives a detailed analysis on thesignificance of the awareness of the divergences in contextua

40、l cultures in the communicationbetween China and the U.S., based on the fundamental understanding and discussion ofintercultural communication competence and what to be included in cultural teaching with theaim of improving intercultural communication competence. In the enhancement of thesignificanc

41、e, the author makes use of two surveys. One was conducted b4the views of both teachers and students on questions related to awareness of cultural traits. Usingit as a model, the author did another survey on the current condition of English Major Studentsawareness of the differences between high-cont

42、ext and low-context cultures. Both surveysindicate that English major students awareness of the contextual differences needs improvingpressingly in order to have successful intercultural communication between high-context andlow-context cultures. In the second part, the author puts forward videos as

43、 a cultural teachingtechnique for the sake of efficiency in the enhancement of students awareness of the divergencesbetween high-context and low-context cultures in classrooms, which is demonstrated in threepoints, including the advantages, the general principles and the relevant samples of using vi

44、deosas a teaching technique.In Chapter 6, the conclusion part, the author gives a conclusion and points out thelimitations of the thesis and hopes for future study in the theory and application of high-contextand low-context cultures.y Hu Wenzhong to see5 In recent years, the growth of traveling in

45、America for business, study and pleasure, the expansion of international trade and the migration of people seeking work in multinational companies have naturally led to a great increase in contact across national borders. Due to cultural diversity and dissimilar background knowledge, the same message may be interpreted differe