跨文化交际视听说案例分析

Case 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 forg

ot inviting Xiao Wang attend his wedding. Later Xiao Wang got information ab

out Xiao

LI’

wedding and sent RMB 500 Yuan to Xiao LI.

Question: What cultural phenomenon can be reflected? Why?

In Chinese culture influenced by Confucianism, if someone does a favor fo

r you, you should return the favor to them. This is very common for Chinese

people..In the philosophy of Confucianism Reciprocity are the base of relation

ships. Gratitude and indebtedness are important parts of Chinese culture. If a

person feels uneasy to be indebted of someone, payback is necessary to achi

eve balance in the relationship.

Case 2

An English guest: Each time a new dish arrived his parents would lean ov

er and load my plate with tasty morsels. As they had taken all the trouble to c

ook it I just had to polish it off. As soon as my plate was empty they would pu

t more on. Of course, I felt duty- bound to eat that too.

A Chinese guest: Can you imagine how many dishes I had? Only one --

a stew with meat and vegetables. The meat was over done and too hard to e

at; green vegetables were no longer green. They never put food on your plate

but just ask you to help yourself. If you, as a guest, are shy or modest, waiti

ng for the food to be put on your plate, you will remain half-starved.

Question: Are there any differences in hospitality between a Chinese and

English? What are the reasons?

Yes. The Chinese student felt disappointed at British hospitality because s

he used the Chinese way of showing hospitality to judge the British one. In th

e story taking place in China, the westerner couldn't imagine that there shoul

d be sixteen dishes prepared for her. When she ate from the eight cold dishes

, she couldn't eat anymore. It is because a Western meal normally severs one

main course plus a starter and sweets or desserts. The fact is that different p

eople in the world show their different hospitality in different ways.

Case 3

Li Lan had an American friend Susan. They usually had lunch together an

d Li Lan often asked Susan for advice on problems she faced adjusting to Am

erican society. Susan gave Li Lan a lot of advice and helped her to improve he

r 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 le

nd the money to her. Though Li Lan returned the money as she promised, the

y

didn’t

get along well from then on.

Question: Why did Li Lan feel unpleasant?

Li Lan asked to borrow money from her American friend Susan, which is r

arely part of Western friendship. Li Lan and Susan have different expectations

of friendship.

In the West, people prefer to be independent and equal rather than depe

ndent, so they don't feel comfortable in a relationship in which one person giv

es more and the other person is dependent on what is given. Among friends t

hey 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 t

hey even take risks for their friends. So they would give not only emotional s

upport to each other but also concrete help to each other, such as helping to f

ind a job, solving a problem, or even giving money to help one out over a lon

g 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.

Case 4

In 1997, a Danish woman from Copenhagen 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 P

olice. The woman was charged with endangering a child and was jailed for tw

o nights. Her child was placed in foster care. The woman and the Danish cons

ulate explained that leaving children unattended outside cafes is common in D

enmark. Pictures were wired to the police showing numerous strollers parked

outside cafes while parents were eating inside.

Question: What cultural phenomenon can be reflected?

This case reflects one of the barriers to the effective intercultural commun

ication----

assuming similarity instead of difference. In American culture, it is illegal for p

arents to leave their baby alone. Whereas it is commonplace for parents to le

ave their baby alone in Danish Danish woman had assumed that

Copenhagen is similar to New York, that what is commonly done in Copenhag

en is also commonly done in New York.

Case 5

Describing the differences of verbal communication Styles between Chine

se people and American people. Take examples to explain it.

The Chinese shout be loud when talking about everything. Direct eye-

contact is rare when speaking person to person. Counting on your fingers is di

fferent. Instead of just holding out the number of fingers on two hands as in

America, the Chinese have specific finger signs for numbers one to ten.

To indicate yourself, Americans tend to use their thumb or forefinger and

point at or touch their chest. Chinese people usually point at their nose with t

heir index finger to do so. Chinese people feel no compunction against staring

at other people for long periods of time. Young people, both boys and girls u

p to the age of 21, engages in all manner of rough-

housing, often hitting each other. Women often walk arm and arm down the s

treets. Men and men hold hands or embrace shoulders as they walk outside.

Nothing is wrong with that if they are friends.

Case 6