A Comparative Study on Compliment Words between Chinese Culture and English Culture and Its Enlightenment on Chinese Teaching as a Second Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. p14
Author(s):  
Yanhong Zeng

As an important part of children’s literature, nursery rhymes are the earliest literary styles that children are exposed to after they are born. They can reflect objective things, living customs and national culture. Through the comparison of animal images in Chinese and English classic nursery rhymes, this paper concludes that there are cultural differences in animal images in nursery rhymes. Some animal images have similar cultural connotations in Chinese culture and English culture, while some animal images have different cultural connotations.


2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 17.1-17.22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baohua Yu ◽  
David A. Watkins

The present study investigates the relationships among motivational factors, cultural correlates and second language proficiency. The participants, from both Western and Asian backgrounds, were learning Chinese at university level in the People’s Republic of China. 115 students (35 Western students and 80 Asian students) ranging from beginning to advanced levels of proficiency were surveyed. The results of the study indicated that the degree of integrativeness into Chinese culture and motivation was significantly and positively related to Chinese language proficiency, while language anxiety was significantly and negatively correlated to such proficiency. However instrumental orientation was found to have no statistically significant relationship with such proficiency. Multiple regression analysis indicated that integrativeness and gender were major variables predicting Chinese language proficiency. Significant differences between Western and Asian student groups were found in terms of motivational variables and Chinese language proficiency. Compared with the Asian student group, the Western student group tended to perform better in spoken Chinese proficiency as evaluated by their teachers and seemed to have higher levels of motivation and integrativeness but lower levels of instrumental orientation and language anxiety. Recommendations are made to enhance motivation and second language acquisition.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Bei Yang

<p>As an important yet intricate linguistic feature in English language, synonymy poses a great challenge for second language learners. Using the 100 million-word British National Corpus (BNC) as data and the software Sketch Engine (SkE) as an analyzing tool, this article compares the usage of <em>learn</em> and <em>acquire </em>used in natural discourse by conducting the analysis of concordance, collocation, word sketches and sketch difference. The results show that different functions of SkE can make different contributions to the discrimination of <em>learn</em> and <em>acquire</em>. Pedagogical implications are discussed when the results are introduced into the classroom.</p>


2011 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artemisa Dralo

Today, interest in developing courses that provide interdisciplinary perspectives is increasing. In this way, we could obviously illustrate and give exact comparisons for our learners of English as a second language, in order to avoid their misconception and later incorrect usage of exact grammatical patterns. Thus a detailed study particularly upon the key patterns of each language, especially the correct usage of verbs, is necessary not even for the learner, but also for the teacher and especially for a linguist. The aim of this study is the correct usage and explanation of non-finite verbs for the learner of English as a second language. Teachers of all levels of English language have usually been confronted with this problem, while explaining grammar and trying to adjust the similarities and differences of English non-finites with the Albanian forms. This article focuses as well on the morphological and syntactical aspect and the structure of non-finite verbs within sentences in English and Albanian language, the problem of whether verbs are followed by the gerund or infinitive, especially in English but in a comparison to Albanian language and their equivalence. 


2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 17.1-17.22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baohua Yu ◽  
David A. Watkins

The present study investigates the relationships among motivational factors, cultural correlates and second language proficiency. The participants, from both Western and Asian backgrounds, were learning Chinese at university level in the People’s Republic of China. 115 students (35 Western students and 80 Asian students) ranging from beginning to advanced levels of proficiency were surveyed.The results of the study indicated that the degree of integrativeness into Chinese culture and motivation was significantly and positively related to Chinese language proficiency, while language anxiety was significantly and negatively correlated to such proficiency. However instrumental orientation was found to have no statistically significant relationship with such proficiency. Multiple regression analysis indicated that integrativeness and gender were major variables predicting Chinese language proficiency. Significant differences between Western and Asian student groups were found in terms of motivational variables and Chinese language proficiency. Compared with the Asian student group, the Western student group tended to perform better in spoken Chinese proficiency as evaluated by their teachers and seemed to have higher levels of motivation and integrativeness but lower levels of instrumental orientation and language anxiety. Recommendations are made to enhance motivation and second language acquisition.


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