English Euphemism Teaching英语委婉语教学.docx

《English Euphemism Teaching英语委婉语教学.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《English Euphemism Teaching英语委婉语教学.docx（71页珍藏版）》请在淘文阁 - 分享文档赚钱的网站上搜索。

1、English Euphemism TeachingAbstractEuphemism, which is frequently used in both English and Chinese, is a linguistic phenomenon as well as a cultural one. In a sense, without proper application of euphemism, communication would be impossible. Euphemism has become one of the major subjects of cross-cul

2、tural studies as people come to realize the significance of euphemism. Therefore, English teachers should pay attention to euphemism teaching so as to improve students cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence. In China, as far as euphemism teaching is concerned, there are no monographs

3、or treatises. The papers concerning euphemism teaching mainly discuss the importance of English euphemism but do not deliberate how to teach English euphemism. So, euphemism teaching is a new subject that should be studied and explored. The English teachers should fill up gaps in euphemism teaching.

4、 On the basis of analyzing the traditional teaching methods and teaching practice, the author of this dissertation introduces the Multiple Intelligence Theory and applies it to her teaching practice. Based on student-centered conception, the theory emphasizes students independent learning. In practi

5、ce, the author views teaching and learning as a dynamic and interactive process in which teachers are not policy-makers but organizers and participants. The author tries her best to arouse students motivation and develop students intelligence for culture and euphemism learning through participation

6、and enlightenment. After experimental teaching practice, the author finds the results satisfactory. Almost all the students have improved their cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence in various degrees and their progress also displays in their linguistic abilities such as listening, s

7、peaking, reading and writing. It should be admitted that the empirical teaching practice with MI Theory is just on a small scale although the theory demonstrates its strong points in her class. So, this theory should still be applied, studied and summarized by college English teachers and relative E

8、nglish educators so as to achieve a remarkable success in improving students cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence. Key Words: euphemism, cross-cultural awareness, motivation, multiple intelligence theory, empirical teaching摘 要委婉语是一种语言现象，也是一种文化现象。不能正确理解和使用委婉语将会给交际带来极大的障碍。随着委婉语的重要性越来越

9、为人们所关注和认识，委婉语已成为跨文化研究的重要对象之一。委婉语教学的目的就是通过提高学生理解和使用委婉语的能力以培养学生的跨文化意识和交际能力。作者发现在中国对于委婉语教学的研究几乎还是一片空白，关于委婉语教学的专著极少，一些关于委婉语教学的论文也只是探讨了委婉语的重要性并没有提出以何种模式或方法来进行教学。因此，委婉语教学的方法和模式是一个有待研究和发掘的新课题。在对传统教学方法进行比较全面的分析研究的基础上,作者研读了以学生为中心的多种智力理论并将其应用于委婉语教学中。基于这一理论,作者在教学实践中,把教与学看作是动态及互动性的过程，强调自主性学习，而教师只是教学的参与者与组织者而不是决

10、策者。教师通过参与和启发，从而不断提高学生的学习兴趣并调动学生的学习积极性。经过实践，此种理论在作者所执教的班级中取得了良好的效果。接受多种智力理论教学的同学在理解和使用委婉语的能力及跨文化意识上都有了不同程度的提高。需要指出的是,虽然在教学实践中多种智力理论显示了很多的优点，但作者的这一实验性对比研究的对象范围还比较狭窄,多种智力理论还需要各个高校的教师及其他从事英语教学人员的进一步应用、研究和总结，从而使委婉语教学和跨文化教学取得更大的成效。关键词：委婉语，跨文化意识，学习动机，多种智力理论，实验性教学VContentsAcknowledgementsEnglish AbstractChi

11、nese AbstractChapter 1 Introduction1Chapter 2 Euphemism and Intercultural Communication42.1 Formation of Euphemism42.2 Features of Euphemism92.3 Euphemism and Culture122.4 Euphemism and Communication.142.5 Euphemism and Intercultural Communication232.6 Summary24Chapter 3 English Euphemism Teaching26

12、3.1 Traditional Teaching Practice263.2 Multiple Intelligence Theory293.3 Orientation of English Euphemism Teaching343.4 Application of MI Theory to English Euphemism Teaching423.5 Assessment of English Euphemism Teaching483.6 Summary51Chapter 4 Conclusion53Appendix I (Test Paper)55Key to the Test61A

13、ppendix II (Weekly/Monthly Checklist)62Bibliography63Chapter 1 IntroductionChapter 1 Introduction Language and culture are intertwinded. Language, as a crucial means of communication, is a part of culture and plays a very important role in it. Without language, culture and communication would not be

14、 possible. Cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence are now widely recognized as an important goal of language teaching. To achieve effective cross-cultural communication, students should acquire not only linguistic competence but also pragmatic competence. Euphemism is a part of langua

15、ge. Euphemism is a roundabout expression, substituting inoffensive words for their more explicit counterparts, so that communication is carried out in a more pleasant, smooth and effective way. It is pervasive in our daily life. It is a common linguistic phenomenon as well as a cultural one in diffe

16、rent cultures. Euphemism is a common linguistic phenomenon in all cultures and it is also a very important device to coordinate interpersonal relationship. Many scholars at home and abroad have studied the phenomenon of euphemism from perspectives of rhetoric, semantics, sociolinguistics and pragama

17、tics. Their study has enriched euphemism research and broadened peoples vision of the phenomenon of euphemism. Although the theoretical study of English euphemism has a very long history both in China and in western societies, the research on euphemism teaching is still a new subject that should be

18、studied and explored. As far as English euphemism teaching is concerned, there are no monographs and treatises. Of course, although there are a few papers concerning euphemism teaching, like 英语委婉语产生的心理动机及其在英语教学中的应用（朱华，2004），英汉委婉语比较与大学英语教学（韩玲，2003），从委婉语与禁忌语谈英语教学（巩鹏，2000），将英语委婉语导入大学英语口语教学中（范思勇，2002），A

19、 Tentative Study on Euphemism (Yu Li, 2001), etc., they just all talk about the importance and significance of English euphemism but do not provide us with specific teaching theories or methods which deal with euphemism teaching and learning. Most of the English teachers in high schools and universi

20、ties still apply traditional teaching methods. As a result, a large proportion of the students are not proficient in understanding and using English euphemism and impoverished of cross-cultural awareness, thus resulting in communicative and pragmatic failure. So, in China, an appropriate teaching th

21、eory or method is necessary for euphemism teaching and for the purpose of promoting students linguistic and sociocultural competence.As a teacher who teaches college English in China, the present author, besides theoretical research on euphemism itself, is also concerned with how to conduct euphemis

22、m teaching effectively and fruitfully in her English teaching practice. The author has a hope of finding an appropriate and applicable teaching theory or method so as to improve students ability to understand and use English euphemism. Through the teaching and learning of English euphemism, the auth

23、or intends to cultivate students cross-cultural awareness and promote students communicative competence. After having made a detailed study of some traditional teaching methods, the author finds that Multiple Intelligence Theory is more helpful and applicable as far as English euphemism teaching is

24、concerned. Thus, the author applies MI Theory to her teaching practice and designs many classroom activities in accordance with this theory. After almost three-term teaching practice, the authors students have made considerable progress in command of English euphemism, linguistic competence and soci

25、ocultural competence.This dissertation is focused on the following points: a theoretical introduction to English euphemism, the general practice of euphemism teaching, a new and efficient teaching theory - Multiple Intelligence Theory and its application into her teaching practice. The significance

26、of the paper lies in three aspects:First, the author proposes that in China euphemism teaching, a new subject, should be studied and explored. The author finds that although many teachers have realized the important position euphemism has been holding in English language and culture, they do not kno

27、w how to cultivate students cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence by means of euphemism teaching.Second, the author discusses the negative influence of the traditional Grammar-Translation method on students knowledge and application of English euphemism and designs a test to find out

28、 her students proficiency in understanding and using English euphemisms. After analyzing the results of the test, the author holds that English teachers should arouse and stimulate students motivation to learn euphemism with appropriate teaching theories and methods. Third, the author successfully a

29、pplies the theory to her teaching practice and her students have made great progress in cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence. The whole dissertation consists of four chapters. Chapter 1 is a general survey of the study of euphemism teaching. Chapter 2 examines the definition, the fo

30、rmation, features of euphemism and its relationship with intercultural communication. From the relationship between euphemism, culture and communication, the author points out that English euphemism deserves special attention in the course of English teaching. Chapter 3 presents Multiple Intelligenc

31、e Theory based on student-centered conception and describes the application of this theory to the teaching practice. Chapter 4 serves as the conclusion of the whole dissertation.Chapter 2 Euphemism and Intercultural Communication2.1 Formation of Euphemism The word “euphemism” comes from the Greek eu

32、, “good”, and pheme, “speech” or “saying”, and thus means literally “to speak with good words or in a pleasant manner” (Neaman and Silver, 1983: 1). Some definitions of euphemism are quoted below: 1) the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh or

33、blunt. (Websters Dictionary of American English, Random House, Inc. 1997 )2) the use of a pleasanter, less direct name for something thought to be unpleasant. (Longman English-Chinese Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman Group UK Limited, 1998 )3) rhetorical trope: a pleasant replacement for

34、an objectionable word that has pejorative connotations. (Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics, FLTRP, 2000 )4) a euphemism is used as an alternative to a dispreferred expression, in order to avoid possible loss of face: either ones own face ,or through giving offence, that of the audienc

35、e, or of some third party. (Allan and Burridge, 1991: 18)The famous American linguists D. Bolinger extends the definition of euphemism in the third edition of Aspects of Language. He points out, “there are grammatical ways of toning something down without actually changing the content of message” (1

36、981: 148). In English, for example, people often use “go to the other world” instead of “die”, “hard of hearing” instead of “deaf”, etc. Euphemism of such a kind, which is conventionally established by usage and widely accepted by most people, is called euphemism in a narrow sense. Euphemism, in a b

37、roader sense, should embrace 53Chapter 2 Euphemism and Intercultural Communicationboth verbal and non-verbal euphemism. Non-verbal euphemism consists of behavioural euphemism and visual euphemism, the former including action expression, vocal expression and body expression. For example, people may u

38、se coughs to stop a speaker from mentioning something sensitive to a hearer. The cough here is vocal euphemism. And a person may glance left and right to indicate that he has no interest in what is said to him, but he will not say so directly to the speaker out of politeness. The gesture of gazing a

39、round is body euphemism. Although scholars defines euphemism differently from different angles, their definitions of euphemism are similar in that they all agree that euphemism is an indirect and roundabout way of expression employed by people to mention something unpleasant. In communication, it ca

40、n make unpleasant things sound better. Euphemism as a figure of speech is usually regarded as a kind of device for successful communication, but we can also treat euphemism as a kind of purpose. We can achieve the purpose of euphemism by using different techniques of expression. English euphemism ca

41、n be created through phonetic device, lexical device, figurative device, grammatical device and pragmatic device. The formation of euphemism is closely related to the use of euphemism. Many euphemisms are created in daily communication in various contexts and situations. So, to know the formation of

42、 euphemism will help students have a better understanding of English euphemisms and use them correctly. Some important formations of English euphemisms are as follows.2.1.1 Phonetic Device Phonetic device includes phonetic distortion and weak form. Phonetic distortion is commonly used in English sin

43、ce its writing is alphabetic. It refers to the changing of a sound in a word for the purpose of emphasizing. For example, we have apocopation like “vamp” for vampire”, initialing like “JC” for “Jesus Christ”, backforming like “burgle” derived from “burglar” for “rob”, reduplication like “pee-pee” fo

44、r “piss”, blend words like “gezunda” for “chamber pot” (A chamber pot usually “goes under” the bed.), diminutives like “heinie”, which is a diminutive of “hind end”, for “buttocks”, etc. Weak form is also a popular way of forming euphemism in English. When people have to talk about something that th

45、ey feel embarrassed to mention, they can say it in a low voice to achieve a euphemistic effect.2.1.2 Lexical Device 1) Using Vague Words and ExpressionsVague words and expressions can achieve the purpose of euphemism because they can blur the undesirable yet explicit associations that tabooed words

46、arouse. Vague words are widely used to create euphemisms. For example, “social disease” is used to stand for “syphilis”, “in difficulties” for “in debt”, “a growth” for “cancer”, etc. 2) Using SynonymsEnglish is abundant in synonyms. Substituting the original words with their synonyms can form euphe

47、mism. Lets examine the following two examples: He is tight with his money. Dont be so soft.In these two sentences, “tight” is used instead of “stingy” and “soft” is used instead of “foolish” to achieve the purpose of euphemism.3) Borrowing Foreign WordsForeign words can be used in place of tabooed words in ones native language to achieve euphemism in English. English vocabulary has the quality of openness and its speed of receiving fo