Cross-Cultural Analysis on Complements

zwwx@overseaen.comISSN 1009- -5039htp://ww.overseaen.comOverseas English海外英语Tel:+86- -551- -65690811 65690812Cross-Cultural Analysis on Complements刘恒(北京农学院,北京102206)Abstract: Nativized varieties of English must reflect native pragmatic norms and cultural conventions. Complements, as a politesocial behavior, is analyzed from the perspective of ChineseEnglish speaker and American English speaker to emphasize the im-portance of the cross -cultural differences in pragmatic uses.中图分类号:1106文献标识码:A文 章编号: 1009- 5039(2014)13 -0182-02Complements have many social functions. They are used to sity unless he is very bright. She would suppose that the Chinesestart a conversation, greet somebody or break the ice among peo- mother is not honest and not willing to tell the truth. If an Ameri-ple. When we are going to give a complement to someone, we usual-can mother is complemented, she might respond like this:ly try to make people understand our positive evaluation of them.American Mother:“Your son is admitted by Beijing Universi-Of course, people who receive our complements will respond to the ty. He must be very itelligent.'compliments to show their politeness.American Mother:“Thank you. Yes, he is doing very well."the addresser or addressee would sometimes not be aware that which seems to be very arrogant to a Chinese mother. Chinese“this is a compliment" and then neglect the speech act, which mother would usually not accept compliments from others to showwould be very rude to the other side. In American English such their politeness. Objections seem to be the appropriate behavior forphrase as“I love it" or“I like it" are often used as complimentsthem.while Chinese English speakers tend to use sentences like “YouAs is widely known, China is a country whose civilization goeslook awesome!" as compliments. It is because Chinese tend to use back thousands of years. Chinese people have developed their ways“you” in complimenting the others.of behaving, unique cultural traditions and a system of values. Chi-of speaking and understanding. An American man was visiting a that they have commonly experienced within their social culturalChinese man' s house and said“who' s the cook?" after having the groups. Chinese society puts many emphases on personal modestydinner;“who ”s the gardener”after seeing the garden;“who' s the as is shown in the dialogue mentioned above. Chinese mother usu-artisally reject the compliments to show her modesty and to make theAmerican man was rather curious and answered all the seemingly other people feel comfortable, which is an appropriate behaviorapparent questions from the American man. The Chinese man was from Chinese cultural values while the American way of acceptinghonest and didn’t realize that the American man was in fact com-the compliments would be considered inappropriate.garden. The communication failure has its origin in the fact that different countries, for which it is known as a“melting pot' '. PeopleAmerican English and Chinese English reflect in them their own so- build up a new paradise for themselves, for which they need to becial norms of interaction, which differ greatly from each other.creative and confident. In this individual- oriented society peopleand a nonnative speaker may be caused by transfer. People transfer tremely conscious of their own identity. It is perhaps just for thistheir speaking norms from their first language to their second lan-reason the they tend tosay“I like it" or“I love it." When compli-guage and they do this unconsciously. An American mother is com- menting the others and they would also accept compliments fromplimenting a Chinese mother about the cleverness of her son. The the others with great ease.dialogue runs like this:Failure to understand their respective pragmatic norms wouldAmerican Mother: “Your son is admited by Bejing Universi- hinder the communication between American English speaker andty. He must be very intelligent.'Chinese English speaker. In China complimenting others too muchThe American mother would be very surprised because the culture. Less consideration would be given if you are compliment-son of the Chinese mother would not be admitted by Bejjing Univer-ing the Americans as they seldom regard compliments as flattery中国煤化工MYHCNMHG收稿日期:2014-04- 18修回日期:2014-05-15作者简介:刘恒,女,北京农学院讲师,硕士研究方向为语言学。182 /化究7本栏目责任编辑:杨菲菲2014年07月.Overseas English海外英语but as a way of recognition of their individual efforts.ence concerning social variables as age, sex, race, and social status.Nativized varieties of English must reflect native pragmaticcompliment each other.“You look great today." This kind of com- norms and cultural conventions. Second language speakers trans-pliment is not going to happen that often between Chinese family ferred consciously or unconsciously their respective cultural pat-members.‘ You look younger in your new dress."“ You have not terns and conversation norms from their first language to their sec-changed much" would not be considered as compliments for Ameri- ond language. It is necessary to increase people' s cross- culturalcan English speaker, but Chinese English speaker would be happy awareness so that fewer problems arise in their interaction with peo-to hear compliments like this. This is caused by diferent cultural ple from a diferent culture. Cultural conventions and pragmaticvalues. The old is respected in China, while being odd would mean norms in two cultures should be compared and contrasted to estab-useless fs for American English speaker.lish similarities and identify differences. The acquiring of cross-English has been widely used as the world ’s lingua franca culture awareness is often a complicated process of psychologicalfrom which different varieties of English have developed. Chinese adaptation, which is a time-consuming dificult task for and invitesEnglish and American English are just two varieties among them. joint efforts from English promoters in China.Chinese and American people have taserred their respective References:pragmatic norms and cultural values into English and thus resultedin misunderstanding between Chinese and American English [1] Elis,Donala G.From Language To Commuiation[]Hilllspeakers if they fail to understand their differences.dale,New Jersey:Lawrence Erlbaum Association, Inc, 1992.Different cultures have different ways of speaking and commu-2] Honna,Nobuyuki.A Close look at Chinese Cultural Influencenication patterns. In 1979 Robert Kohls defines“culture as an inte-on Students ’Learning Styles and Strategies[J].Asian Englsi-hes. Tokyo: ALC Press, Inc,2002,5(1):40-64.grated system of learned behavior patterns that are characteristicsof the members of any given society. 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