文化与文学——通过文学教文化之探讨

Culture and literature: an exploration on the teaching of culture through literature.

文化与文学有着密不可分的关系。不论如何界定文化,文学总是文化的一部分。裘克安(1993:10)将文化分为四个层次,第一层次指物质生产成果,包括科学技术。第二层次指生产关系,包括社会和政洽制度,经济、法律和宗教制度。第三层次指有形的精神文明产物,包括建筑、绘画、雕刻、文学和其他各种著作。第四层次指无形的精神文明产物,包括思想意识、风俗习惯、价值标准等。

Literature is a part of culture and as such has always enjoyed great prestige in the teaching of foreign languages. In this paper the question of how to teach culture through literature is explored from the point of the view of intercultural communication. The kind of cultural information that may be extracted from literature includes interpersonal relationships, customs and habits, cultural connotation of words, no-verbal means of communication and beliefs and values. Inferencing is recommended as a means of helping students tackle difficulties and acquiring information on their own. A word of warning against mechanically equating literature with reality proceeds advice to give priority to realist literature in classroom use.