From English-Chinese Greetings See the Differences between Chinese and WesternCultureClass:two Number:200814025226 Name:Zhong XinghuaAs a conventional greeting terms, it is widely used in the human daily language communication. In Chinese and western cross-cultural communication, the started contact between people is greeted each other. Some with profound "China brand" greeting in western eye is puzzled; Some with a "western characteristic" greeting for Chinese people also don't understand. This mutual view about "don't understand" serious impact on the smooth communication, even caused serious cultural conflict, so I think it is necessary to find out the deep reason, and take some measures to avoid the cultural conflict.1. the conflict on languageThe greeting is the most common people's life of oral communication, it is the beginning to cut the topic, so the usage of greeting is directly related to communicatesmoothly. Erving Goffman thought the greeting is communicative signal of the beginning to recognize. China and the western countries have different cultural background, different historical origin.In greeting, the language of them also have a big difference. For example, the Chinese meeting and greeting people often used to say "you eat?" (Have you had the meal?) , "where to go?" (Where are you going?) and so on, as people life changes in the concept of, new greetings appears, such as "a raise?" (Have you got your salary raised?) , "You went out to play in holidays?" (Have you been traveling during the holidays?)and so on.As for the Chinese speaking, these are very common greeting and it's literally words, they care to each other, and the fine words about their asking can reflect the concern to others, but westerners may anger, they thought it was inquiring about other people's privacy, not polite behavior, is not appropriate topic, was disgusted. Westerners meet an acquaintance in the most commonly say “hello” that is "Good morning" ,"Good afternoon"or "Good night" (Good evening), and so on. Western greetings content is simple, is not mixed withspecific information, just on the meaning of expressing politeness. But ,for Chinese people, this is not enough enthusiasm greeting. The language content to difference of the Chinese and western is not successful communication, which is the language of the conflict. Greeting from language style aspect, there are also differences between Chinese and western. In China, for example, people mention their partners are more implicative tactful, some women to greet him when says "you damn fool", this make westerners puzzled, don't understand what's so called their husband. In the west, between a husband and wife say "hello" common "dear", this kind of word call our lover to show the feeling of happiness, but this style of greetings in China does not exist more.We all know, the language is the tool to exchange of information.As one of the language, it will lead to different language of the conflict, the language differences in essence reflect the cultural conflict. The language is a part of the culture, at the same time, it is the carrier of culture. Words can't exist separating from culture, because language can see a variety of ethnicculture. E. t. Hall said: "culture is humanized life environment. Every aspect of human life is from the influence of culture and with the cultural changes ,or rather, the existence of cultural decided, including self expression way and swept away way." Knowing the culture to the research of the language is very important. So, through the surface analysis greetings, the conflict on language is actually different from analyzing of the cultures of the conflict.2. cultural conflictAlong with the development of economic globalization, the diverse culture exist the phenomenon of popularization.we are bringing in different cultures of western society people more and more opportunities. In this case, in order to achieve successful cross-cultural communication, in order to achieve "universal harmony", the author thinks that we need to understand the differences between the Chinese and western culture and the differences of cultural conflict brought, from which we can avoid further this conflict happened, so as to promote between Chinese and western greetings and conversation better.(1) greetings clubby code viewGreetings communication standard is a man in the communication what to do and not to do what is basic principle and attitude. In Chinese and western different cultural background, people often say "hello" communication in their own place or social standards of behavior to determine each other behavior of rationality. The standards of behavior is different, it often can cause unhappy, even the conflict on communication. For example, when the Chinese say "hello" child, like on the other side, head gently patting or clench ears to show friendly. The greeting in western eye is highly respect the practice of children, parents will be very angry and resentful. Say so, in cross-cultural communication, people to identify and correct usage of behavioral standards to ensure that communication is smooth. (2) "benevolence" conceptIn Chinese traditional culture, "benevolence" the idea to communication language influence, especially in the choice of greeting. "Just the lover" require people to live together in harmony, helping others, caring and loving for others to sympathy. In this principle, peopleare actively building harmonious relations between people, trying to establish mutual affection. This kind of care about each other in human relations is based on greeting the selection of language effect. It makes people communicate with care, as far as possible to remind the greeting and greet each other, such as "the day was cold and wearing more" (It 's so cold that you need wear more clothes.), "Don't tired" (Don' t be tired.), and so on. This kind of greeting to be gradually expand to greet the aspects of the basic necessities, involving the other party of the health, life, family and various aspects of personal situation. In the Chinese view, this is a decent greeting type, it will closes the distance, build a kind of sweet atmosphere, but this kind of greeting can cause westerners antipathy, resulting in the communication misunderstandings and cut off.3. Cross cultural conflict strategic countermeasures (1) respecting personality and characteristicsIn order to avoid the conflict on language, in cross-cultural communication, we need to learn from each other's cultures and pragmatic habit and the differencesbetween Chinese and western culture objectively. In order to strengthen the understanding of these differences, we should read western culture background and related books through watching the film and TV programs. Westerners in exchange greetings had better convert western daily to greet, also want to spread the national culture essence, make the other side can also understand the differences. we must respect,understand and compare, eventually to exchange and communicate.(2) joining the foreign languageOur aim is eliminating communicating conflicts, learning to this group communication culture, to foster intercultural communication competence. The final purpose of foreign language learning is to improve intercultural communication competence. The classroom is the main place of foreign language learning. So as a foreign language teacher, in the teaching of foreign language at the same time should use class to communicate culture content, it should include cultural phenomenon , descripte deep cultural explored. Only in this way, students can understand the western cultureand cultivate their different cultural tolerance ability. (3) in-depth study Chinese and western daily languageIn order to conform to the global integration, in order to strengthen the different language and culture of the people mutual understanding and communication, some daily language, such as the greeting, farewell language and thank words need to study so as to promote the daily cross-cultural communication, achieve a global integral harmony.In short, the greeting is an important form of speech communication. Understanding the differences between Chinese and western greeting and leading to the differences of cultural conflict need time, people have responsibility to analyze these conflicts and find good countermeasures to resolve these conflicts, so do the real intercultural communication.。
