《大学英语跨文化交际课程》讨论问题及答案

《大学英语跨文化交际课程》讨论问题及答案第一套:

1 There are organizations devoted to Ford cars and trucks. Some people are preoccupied with that for a while and then lose interest and hence relinquish membership in the group.

2 Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled (by grade) to salute except when it is inappropriate or impractical (in public conveyances such as plans and buses , in public places such as inside the theaters, or when driving a vehicle). 3. Li Lan had an American friend Susan. They usually had lunch together and Li Lan often asked Susan for advice on problems she faced adjusting to American society. Susan gave Li Lan a lot of advice and helped her to improve her English. Once Li Lan needed urgently a big sum of money to pay her tuition fee. Since she has no other friends in the States, she turned to Susan for help and promised that she would return the money soon.

To Li Lan's great disappointment, this time Susan didn't seem happy to lend the money to her. Though Li Lan returned the money as she promised, they didn't get along well from then on. Questions:

(1) What are the differences in what American and Chinese young people expect from their friends?

(2) What kind of advice would you give to hath of them so that they could get to know each other?

第二套:

1 Xiao LI and Xiao Wang were colleagues. Xiao LI gave a lot of help

to Xiao Wang financially and socially. Recently Xiao LI would get married. But he forgot inviting Xiao Wang attend his wedding. Later Xiao Wang got information about Xiao LI’ wedding and sent RMB 500 Yuan to Xiao LI.

2. People in the United States frequently err in guessing the age of Japanese individuals, such as judging a Japanese college student in mid-

20s to be only 14 or 15. Why?

3. Can you use Confucianism to explain why Chinese people both have

fan and chai in one meal?

第三套:

1. In 1997, a Danish woman left her 14-month-old baby girl in a

stroller outside a Manhattan restaurant while she was inside. Other

diners at the restaurant became concerned and called New York City Police. The woman was charged with endangering a child and was jailed

for two nights. Her child was placed in foster care. The woman and the Danish consulate explained that leaving children unattended outside

cages is common in Denmark. Pictures were wired to the police showing numerous strollers parked outside cafes while parents were eating inside.

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2. Assume that global warming is a fact, and, as a result, assume

that summers in the United States average 43? (109?). It would be

logical to make adjustments: Rather than air condition

building all day, you might close schools and businesses in the afternoons to conserve energy. Such adjustments would make sense. Why

then do some people attribute sensible midday siestas in hot climates to laziness?

第四套:

1 Sometimes parents will say to their children “ We don’t

associate with people like that.” Or “be

careful when you’re with them.”

2. A classic psychology study in the 1970s had two groups of undergraduates read stories about a woman. The stories were identical, except that one had the sentence “ Betty is now a lesbian.” On

a test one week later, individuals in the group that had read that Betty is a lesbian were much more likely than individuals in the other group to recall having read that Betty never dated men. In fact, the

story that both groups had read stated that Betty dated men occasionally.

3. In India, there are elaborate rules about how closely members of each caste may approach other castes, and Arabs of the same sex do stand much closer than North Americans. North Americans in an elevator

maintain personal space if the physical space permits it. An Arab

entering an elevator may stand right next to another person and be touching even though no one else is in the elevator. 4. In Thailand and Laos, it is rude for a stranger or acquaintance to touch a child on the top of the head because the head is regarded as the home of the spirit

or soul. It is believed that a child’s

spirit or soul is not strong enough to be touched and has tendency to become ill if patted.

第五套:

1 Chinese students can not make good use of the following phrases which are comprised of only simple words, such as read between the lines,hold water, kick the bucket.

2 During World War?, the Allies had issued the Potsdam Ultimatum demanding the surrender of the Japanese military to end the war. Prime Minister Suzuki said, “The government does not see

much value in it. All we have to do is mokusatsu it.” But the word mokusatsu can mean anything

from “ignore” to “treat with silent contempt.” The Allies took it as the most offensive meaning.

3. The US and China have continual conflicts on human rights. Both accused the other side that they have human rights abuses. Despite of great efforts in resolving the differences, the problem still exists.

第六套:

1 A student from Colombia may study in the United States and earn a Ph.D., teach at a

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distinguished university, and publish important books, but when he returns to visit Colombia, people to whom he is introduced will want to know to whom he is related. Colombians want to know who his family is

because that places him in society much more so than any of his accomplishments in the United States.

2(In Germany, there is a society that relies on rules, laws and regulations. Students expect their teachers to be experts who have all the answers. In the workplace, there is an inner need to work hard. Germany wants to reduce its risks to the minimum and proceed with changes step by step. 3(Employment decisions cannot be made on the basis of age, ancestry or ethnicity, disability, marital or parental status, race, religion, or sex.

4(Time clocks are everywhere: In homes, cars, work sites, on wrists, at organized play sites. Many people report feeling uncomfortable not knowing the time. Perhaps only camping in the woods---without a radio and clocks--- can one be free of time awareness in the United States.

第七套:

1 Japanese advertising reflects Confucian and collectivistic values. Concepts of face and harmony relate to an indirect communication style, It is said that the goal of Japanese advertising is to win the trust and respect of the consumer; Taiwan advertising generally links the product to the consumer’s traditional Chinese values, such as family relations and respect for authority. 2(Disney’s ,4.4 billion Euro Disney opened outside Paris in April 1992, later the park was losing ,1 million a day. Disney was forced to take some measures; it had discounted its own value as a U.S. icon. It has now become the most popular tourist attraction in

France. 3(Post-World War ? Japanese products of the time were popularly known as “junk”, so General

Douglas MacArthur asked Washington to send someone to help conduct a national census and assess Japan’s ability to rebuild. Dr. W. Edward Deming, a relatively unknown statistician for the U.S. government, was sent. Deming stressed achieving uniform results during production rather than through inspection at the end of the production line.

Later, Dr. Joseph Juran lectured in Japan on extending quality from just manufacturing to the entire process from product design to product delivery to the customer. This and other efforts had by 1970s resulted in top-quality cameras, electronics, etc.

Later, companies such as Lockheed and Honeywell started similar

pilot programs, but the program did not fit in well with the dominant U.S value of individualism.

Questions:

(1) analyze the role of General MacArthur and Dr. Deming in the model?

(2) why did the program did not have the same impact they had in Japan?

第八套:

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1 When a person arrives in a new country, everything seems so new and exciting.

2 An international student in a U.S. grocery may be asked, “Paper or plastic?” The student knows

what paper is and what plastic is, but doesn’t understand the question.

3 The practice of cao gio —rubbing coins with hot balm oil on the chest and back of a sick person —led to the jailing of one father, who subsequently committed suicide.

4 The defendants, who were members of the Amish faith, refused to

send their children, aged 14 and 15, to public school after the children had completed the eighth grade.

第九套:

1.Budweiser advertised to three regional subgroups: In California, Texas, and the Southwest, advertisements aimed at Spanish-speakers of Mexican heritage featured cowboys and cactus; In the Northeast, advertisements aimed at Puerto Ricans featured cityscapes and salsa music; and the Florida, advertisements aimed at Cubans featured palm trees, cigars, and bananas. Each advertisement featured differently accented Spanish and national-origin-appropriate music.

2. The Nielsen study of Hispanic television viewing showed that Hispanics watch very differently TV shows than the general public does. Adults prefer

Univision and Telemundo to the English-language network shows 3 to 1. Of English-language shows, only 1 in 4 of the top 10 shows shows preferred

by the general public rated in the top 10 for Hispanics. 3. Leslie

Zhueng was a famous singer and movie star in Hong Kong. His fame and popularity brought a lot wealth to him. And he had a boyfriend, Mr. Tang.

4. Southwest is the only major airline in the U.S. that has been profitable in each of the last five years. It has the youngest fleet, the best safety record, and awards for customer service. Like all the better-performing companies, Southwest Airlines has a well-defined set of values that helps the company to survive in those difficult times.

第十套:

1.A White male department manager posted training opportunities as required but strongly encouraged other White heterosexual man in the department to sign up. He never mentioned them to any women, ethnic group members, or lesbians and gay men.

2.A new Spanish immigrant to the United States may have a strong feeling of discomfort, fear, or insecurity when he enters into the Unites States.

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参考答案

第一套:

1 This case can reflect one of features of subgroup ---Temporality. Membership in some group is temporary; that is, members may participate for a time and later become inactive or separate from it altogether.

2 Every culture and subgroup provides its members with rules of behavior, or what are called rules and norms. Indeed, the extent to which a person is a member of a culture is often gauged by his or her adherence to norms. In communication studies, it is assumed that

behavior governed by socially agreed-on norms or by one’s individual guidelines for behavior. Army personnel belongs

to subgroups, therefore it has its own rules and norms . Salute is one of them.

3.

1)Li Lan asked to borrow money from her American friend Susan, which is rarely part of Western friendship. Li Lan and Susan have different expectations of friendship.

2) In the West, people prefer to be independent and equal rather

than dependent, so they don't feel comfortable in a relationship in which one person gives more and the other person is dependent on what is given. Among friends they mostly provide emotional support to each other and spend time together, so they rarely borrow or lend money to each other. They would ask for a loan from the bank rather than from their friends. While in China, people expect their friends to Be loyal to each other, and they even take risks for their friends. So they would give not only emotional support to each other but also concrete help to each other, such as helping to find a job, solving a problem, or even giving money to help one out over along period of time. So when a friend is in need, the first person he or she wants to ask for help is naturally

his/her friend.

3) As an American, Susan would like to help her Chinese friend Li Lan. But she didn't expect Li Lan would ask for money, which goes against the principle of independence and equality. While as a Chinese,

Li Lan regarded Susan as her good friend, and she considered it natural to ask to borrow money from Susan when she needed the money urgently.)

4) Li Lan first should try to get to know American culture as much

as possible. She may also need to have a discussion with Susan about the different ways of friendship in both cultures. If possible, she could

try to ask for a loan from a bank.

5) Susan should also try to learn to understand Chinese culture. She could also have a discussion with Li Lan about the different expectation of friendship in both cultures. If she could understand the Chinese ways, she might help Li Lan out financially by lending her the money.

第二套:

1(In Chinese culture influenced by Confucianism, if someone does a favor for you, you should return the favor to them. This is very common for Chinese people .In the philosophy of

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Confucianism Reciprocity are the base of relationships. Gratitude

and indebtedness are important parts of Chinese culture. If a person

feels uneasy to be indebted of someone , payback is necessary to achieve balance in the relationship.

2(Interpretation refers to attaching meaning to sense data. The same situation can be interpreted quite differently by diverse people. The effect of culture is great. Applying these same cues to someone from another culture may not work. So people in the United States frequently

err in guessing the age of Japanese individuals, such as judging a Japanese college student in mid-20s to be only 14 or 15.

3(The distinctive process of preparing Chinese cuisine is based on Confucius and his philosophy fan and chai of balance. There is a

division between fan, Chinese for grains and other starch foods, and

chai vegetable and meat dishes. A balanced meal must have an appropriate amount of fan and chai.

第三套:

1. This case reflects one of the barriers to the effective

intercultural communication----assuming similarity instead of difference. The Danish woman had assumed that Copenhagen is similar to New York,

that what is commonly done in Copenhagen is also commonly done in New York. 2. The reason why some people attribute sensible midday siestas in hot climates to laziness is that they negatively judge aspects of

another culture by the standards of one’s own culture. This case reflects one of the barriers----- ethnocentrism.

第四套:

1 This case can reflect one of reasons for the persistence of prejudice--- socialization. Prejudices

are learned. Many prejudices are passed on from parents to children.

2 The group’s stereotype of a lesbian influenced what they recalled having read. Stereotypes also impede communication when they cause us to assume that a widely held belief is true of any one individual. For

example, if a group is stereotyped as dishonest, that does not mean that any on individual in that group is dishonest.

3(This case can reflect one nonverbal communication category ---Proxemics. How much space we each want between ourselves and others depends on our cultural learning, our upbringing in our families, the specific situation, and our relationship with the people to whom we’re talking.

The physical distance we want between ourselves and others does vary from culture to culture. 4. This case reflects one nonverbal communication category---Haptics. Haptics is communicating by touch. Touch can communicate a wide variety of messages. The meaning of touch depends on the kind of touch (hard, gentle, etc.) and the context. Different societies have different norms for

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touching. These rules determine the kinds of touching that are appropriate for certain situations and social relationships.

第五套:

1. This case can reflect the lack of idiomatic equivalence between two cultures is a barrier to successful translation. 2 Language that are different often lack words that are directly translatable. This leads to the lack of vocabulary equivalence, which is one of the causes of translation problems.

第六套:

1(This case can reflect the differences between individualist

culture and collectivist culture. Cultures characterized by collectivism emphasize relationships among people to a greater degree. Collectivist cultures stress interdependent activities and suppressing individual aims for the group’s welfare.

2 This case can reflect the feature of high uncertainty avoidance cultures. Cultures strong in uncertainty avoidance are active, aggressive, emotional, compulsive, security seeking, and intolerant.

3(Equality is an important cultural myth in the United States. The U.S. legal system promises equal treatment. It is popularly said that everyone should be treated equally. Everyone should have the same opportunity to work hard and succeed.

4(In the United States, time is viewed as a commodity. Such phrases as “time is money,” “how

much time do you have?” “ don’t waste time,” and “budget your time” are common. When time is

thought of as a commodity, one needs to be constantly aware of it.

第七套:

1 This case can reflect the key to the diffusion and convergence processes across cultures is

adaptation of the message to the receiving cultural. The key is to adapt to the local cultural,

localize thinking, localize the product, and localize the marketing strategy. 2 The introduction or rejection of an innovation has

consequences for a society. All the parts of a culture are interrelated. One change can have repercussions in other areas. Not all of those consequences can be anticipated.

3(

(1) In this example, General Mac Arthur provided the opinion leadership and Dr. Deming was the change agent.

(2) Because quality circles did not fit in well with the dominant

U.S value of individualism.

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第八套:

1. It’s the first stage of culture shock: “honeymoon stage” or initial euphoria.

2. It’s the second stage of culture shock: disintegration of

familiar cues and irritation hostility with the differences experienced in the new culture.

3.This is one example of the differences between U.S. and Vietnamese cultures. Misunderstandings about folk medicine practiced by Vietnamese refugees have led to charges of child abuse and at least one suicide. Understanding of the cultural differences could help prevent further unfortunate incidents like this.

4. After the eighth grade, Amish children may continue education at home on the farm to learn the practical skills of providing for family and community. Further education is discouraged as it instills feelings of superiority that would lead to placing the needs of the self over

those of the community. So this example shows that the Amish people live separately from the dominant culture and maintain their own cultural identity.

第九套:

1 From these advertisements, we can discover that marketing to the Hispanic community involveds not only language and images that mean something to the buyer but also cultural traditions and valures. And the larger advertisers have learned that the Hispanic culture is not one culture but many.

2. This study showed that Spanish language was the most important factor in reaching the Hispanic audience.

3. Leslie Zhueng belonged to different subgroups and had various subgroup identities. According to region, he was a Hong Kong resident. According to occupation, he was a singer and actor. According to economic status, he was rich. And according to sexual orientation, he was a gay.

4. Cooperate culture is a form of subgroup culture. Cooperate culture provides members in the organization a set of values and patterns of behavior. Like cultures, corporate culture has its own heroes, rituals, media and values.

第十套:

1. In the heterosexual White male dominant culture in the United States, women, ethnic group members, minorities groups and homosexual people often experience discrimination in employment activities.

2. A new immigrant may experience culture shock when he enters into the United States. Cultural shock is psychological reaction, which naturally happens when a person enters into a new culture. There are certain syndromes at each period of culture shock.

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