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Oral English Skills of Chinese University Students in Describing Their Native Culture

  • Meixiao Lin

    Meixiao Lin is a lecturer of English at the College English Department of Foshan University, Guangdong and holds an Ed.D degree in TESOL from the University of Leicester, UK. Her research interest is English language teaching. Email: linmeixiao@hotmail.com

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Published/Copyright: October 16, 2018
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Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of Chinese students’ oral English skills in talking about Chinese culture from the perspective of conversation analysis. To examine their performance in this regard, group discussion data in the classroom were collected for analysis. Their oral skills in talking about Chinese New Year and Christmas, a Western festival, were analyzed and compared to determine their oral performance in describing their native culture. Comments by two native English speakers on the students’ performance are used to complement the conversation analysis. The results indicate that, compared with their performance regarding Christmas, the students were able to express a wider range of cultural connotations about Chinese New Year in English, but they used significantly fewer correct culturally-loaded words and phrases, and switched to Chinese much more frequently, suggesting unsatisfactory oral skills in describing Chinese culture.

About the author

Meixiao Lin

Meixiao Lin is a lecturer of English at the College English Department of Foshan University, Guangdong and holds an Ed.D degree in TESOL from the University of Leicester, UK. Her research interest is English language teaching. Email: linmeixiao@hotmail.com

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Agneta Svalberg at the University of Leicester in the UK and Professor Richard Robison at Azusa Pacific University in the USA for their precious advice on this paper.

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Appendix

The Topics for Group Discussion

In Chinese

Topic A 中国春节

请在小组内谈论中国春节,可参考下列关键词来谈论,同时可谈论体现春节文化特色的其它方面。

春节来源:“年”的民间传说

过年前:大扫除、贴春联、贴“福”字、逛花街、买年花

传统颜色:红色

除夕:团圆饭、春节晚会

传统食物:饺子、年糕、汤圆

春节活动:拜年、给小孩压岁钱、放鞭炮、舞狮

祝福语:恭喜发财、年年有余、身体健康、万事如意

In English

Topic A: Chinese New Year

Please talk about Chinese New Year in the group. There are some suggested topics you can talk about, and you can also talk about other cultural aspects of Chinese New Year.

Origin the folklore about Nian

Before Chinese New Year do a thorough cleaning, paste spring couplets, paste the character “blessing,” stroll around the flower street, buy New Year flowers

Traditional color red

Chinese New Year’s Eve family reunion dinner, Spring Festival Gala

Traditional food dumpling, rice cake, rice ball

Activities pay sb. a happy new year visit, give children lucky money in a red envelope, set off firecrackers, perform the lion dance

Blessings May you have a good fortune. May you always get more than you wish for every year. May you have good health. May everything go well for you.

In Chinese

Topic B 圣诞节

请在小组内谈论西方的圣诞节,可参考下列关键词来谈论,同时可谈论体现圣诞节文化特色的其它方面。

圣诞节来源:耶稣诞生的故事

圣诞节前:圣诞树、圣诞蜡烛、圣诞节环

传统颜色:红色、绿色、金色

平安夜:圣诞颂歌、歌曲《平安夜》、报佳音、圣诞袜、圣诞老人

圣诞节活动:圣诞大餐、圣诞礼物、圣诞卡片、圣诞晚会

传统食物:烤火鸡、圣诞布丁、碎肉馅饼

祝福语:圣诞快乐

In English

Topic B: Christmas

Please talk about Christmas in the group. There are some suggested topics you can talk about, and you can also talk about the other cultural aspects of Christmas.

Origin Folklore about the birth of Jesus Christ

Before Christmas Christmas tree, Christmas candle, Christmas wreath

Traditional color red, green and golden

Christmas Eve: Christmas carol, Holy Night, go caroling, Christmas stockings, Santa Claus

Activities Christmas dinner, Christmas present, Christmas card, Christmas party

Traditional food roasted turkey, Christmas pudding, mince pie

Blessing Merry Christmas

Published Online: 2018-10-16
Published in Print: 2018-09-25

© 2018 FLTRP, Walter de Gruyter, Cultural and Education Section British Embassy

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