跨文化交际期末考试题
Ⅰ. Define the following items.
1.c ontext ：P49
2.n oise: P54
3.i ntercultural communication ：communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication event.
4.i ndividualism: P99
5.c ollectivism: P99
6.h igh-context culture ：P110 a culture in which meaning is not necessarily contained in words. Information is provided through gestures, the use of space, and even silence.
7.l ow-context culture ：P110 a culture in which the majority of the information is vested in the explicit code.
8.v erbal communication ：communication done both orally and in written language 9.n onverbal communication ：involves all nonverbal stimuli in a communication
setting that is generated by both the source and his or her use of the environment and that has potential message value for the source or receiver.
II. Answer the following questions(简答题)
1. What is the culture, and what are the characteristics of the culture? P45
what the behavior and customs mean to the people who are following them.
2. What’s the relationship between culture and language?
Culture influences language by way of symbols and rules for using those symbols, as well as our perceptions of the universe (the meaning associated with the symbols).Language, on the other hand, would seem to have a major impact on the way an individual perceives and conceptualizes the world.
3. How do Japanese people refuse? P135
4. How do Chinese and western people respond to others’ compliment? P162
5. What kinds of nonverbal communication are often used in our daily communication? P191
6. What are the functions of the nonverbal communication? P218
7.What are the differences on receiving gift s between Chinese and westerner?
In the West, it is regarded as polite to open gifts as soon as they are given to express appreciation. In China, the situation is quite the reverse. Norma lly we Chinese feel that if you open the gift as soon as it is given, you might embarrass the person wh o gives the gift and you might be thought greedy. Therefore, Chinese people tend to open the gifts af ter the visitors have left.
In China, many people send gifts without wrappi ng them, and if they wrap them, they usually tell t he receiver what is inside, and the receiver will tha nk the sender and put the gift aside without unwra pping them since they already know what is insid e. English receivers open the gifts in front of the se nders of the gifts.
8.Describe the different ways in showing hospitality between Chinese culture and west ern culture.
Chinese guests always refuse offer of drinks or food to demonstrate politeness in seeming not to wish to put their host to any trouble.Sometimes an offer is not a real offer but a polite remark. After we say 'no', we usually wait for the second and thir d offer. If the host just brings the food or drink an d ignores 'no', we ill accept it. Chinese like to press their guests to drink or eat to show their hospitalit y. While westerners always accept or refuse offer o f drinks or food very genuinely.Their refusal is acce
pted as genuine.Westerners don’t to press. To pres s people to have food or drink after they have refu sed is frowned upon and can cause embarrassment s.
III. Case Analysis (You are required t o state cultural phenomenon in each cas e)
Case 1
Li Lan had an American friend Susan. They usually had lunch together and Li Lan often asked Susan for advice on problems she face d adjusting to American society. Susan gave Li Lan a lot of advice and helped her to impro ve her English. Once Li Lan needed urgently a big sum of money to pay her tuition fee. Si nce she has no other friends in the States, sh e 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.
Question: Why did Li Lan feel unpleasant?
Li Lan asked to borrow money from her A merican friend Susan, which is rarely part of Western friendship. Li Lan and Susan have di fferent expectations of friendship.
In the West, people prefer to be independe nt and equal rather than dependent, so they don't feel comfortable in a relationship in whi ch one person gives more and the other pers on is dependent on what is given. Among frie nds 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 rath er 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 no t only emotional support to each other but al so concrete help to each other, such as helpi ng to find a job, solving a problem, or even g iving money to help one out over a long peri od of time. So when a friend is in need, the fi rst person he or she wants to ask for help is naturally his/her friend.