中国外语教学中文化教育的错位与出路

Imbalanced Scale:A Critical Analysis of Contemporary Cultural Disorientation in Foreign Language Teaching in China

中国的外语教学在全球化的新语境下面临新的挑战。依据布朗(H.Douglas Brown)的移情说和教育心理学的动机说,对当前中国外语教育中文化教育的现状进行评析,可以看出在强调目的语文化和忘却"母"文化的一元论教育思想中,中国的外语教学出现了在一种虚拟的跨文化交际中逐渐丧失自己的文化、淡却自己的文化身份的现象,不知不觉走进了文化全球化所挖掘的陷阱。因此,外语教学的文化介入需建立在文化平等的基础上,既要避免文化教育西化,也要避免母文化本质化和绝对化,应该在两极中寻求新的平衡点。

The new context of globalization poses a new challenge to teaching a foreign language in China. This paper is based on H. Douglas Brown＇s theory of empathy and motivation, and analyzes and criticizes contemporary cultural education in foreign language teaching in China. The paper claims that, in teaching practice, where language culture is targeted at the expense of native culture, foreign language teaching in China leads to a loss, in virtual intercultural communication, of both the mother culture and cultural identity. It is suggested here that foreign language teaching therefore has fallen into a trap that has been set by cultural globalization. The paper argues that the introduction of culture in foreign language practice should be anchored in the notion that cultural education should serve the aim of cultural equality. It is thought here that cultural westernization, and both the processes of essentialization and absolutization of native culture should be avoided. A new balance should be established between these extremes.