霍夫斯泰德的文化价值与中国人的英语习得

杨熙超

(徐州广播电视大学，江苏 徐州221000)

0 Introduction

Geert Hofstede,born in 1928 in Netherlands,is an influential Dutch social psychologist and anthropologist.He is a well-known pioneer in his research of cross-cultural groups and organizations.He has played a major role in developing a systematic framework for assessing and differentiating national cultures and organizational cultures.

His most notable work has been in developing the cultural dimensions theory.From the initial results,and later additions,Hofstede developed a model that identifies five primary Dimensions to assist in differentiating cultures: power distance, individualism -collectivism, uncertainty avoidance,masculinity-feminism and long-term orientation.The last one is based on Confucian dynamism.His studies demonstrated that there are national and regional cultural groups that influence behavior of societies and organizations,and that these are persistent over time.

With the fast development of the global village including China, English as the widely used foreign language is learned by more and more Chinese.There are various purposes of learning English，such as going aboard for business or further study or touring.However,when Chinese learn English,they find many problems with English–learning as well as teaching.

As an English teacher,how do we face the problem and analyze it to find the way out?How do we help our students to overcome the problems?And can we get some clues from Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimension?This paper tries to analyze the deep reasons for the problems of English teaching in China.

1 Present situation of English-learning in China and its problem

As a widely used tool and an international language,English is recognized its important role in modern times by more and more Chinese. According to information gathered by Crystal（1979），85%of international organizations in the world make official use of English,and some 90%of published academic article fields.In the globalization trend,Chinese people have to learn English if we want to do business with some multinational corporation or sell our goods across the national boundaries. As teachers and students,we all suddenly realize English importance as one compulsory course in all levels of examinations.We learn English in two kinds of places:in the traditional classrooms or in the training centers which are springing up like mushrooms in the two decades.In this article we just discuss the problems with English learning in the classrooms in China.

Problem 1:the Relationship Between Teachers and Students？

Chinese people are influenced by Confucian philosophy and teachings;the basic virtues are：respect,loyalty,obedience,humility,and trustworthiness.Owning to these deep-rooted traditional values,Chinese students in class are always respectful and obedient to teachers.Teachers hold an authoritative and,sometimes,awesome position among Chinese students.(Gao,2000.p.99).The relationship between teachers and students are more like ruler and his subjects.Teachers’task is to teach knowledge and tell students to behave properly while students are expected to accept it and obey it.

Problem 2:Teachers-oriented or Students-oriented？

Students are willing and prepared to listen to what their teacher lectures to them about in the course.They are not supposed to raise challenging questions to argue with the teacher.They form the habit of listening to the lectures and taking notes,accepting what the teacher presents to them.Instead of students-oriented attending lesson,it is actually a teacher-oriented lecture.Students are passive to accept knowledge given by teachers.Teachers are dominant and active to teach something to students.

Problem 3:Learning Language or Learning culture?

Most English teachers and students think learning English should be focused on language learning in itself,especially words,phrases and grammar.It is true that words and grammar are placed in the priority in English learning.As a result,students are losing interest in the boring words memorizing and grammar practice.But one important aspect of English learning is being neglected--culture,which plays active and key role in language learning.The following definition of culture can indicate the relation between culture and language.

Culture is the shared system of symbolic knowledge and patterns of behavior derived from speech communication,which human individuals carry to provide predictable internal and external psychological stability so as to prevent chaos among human individuals.We learn cultural codes for social life,role expectations,common definitions of situations,and social norms in order to provide predictability and survival of the human species.Human language (spoken and written)is the symbolic glue for human culture.（Aldridge,1997）

Problem 4:Shy to Speak English or Lazy to Speak English?

When people master more than 2000 words like a baby aged 3 years old,they can try to express their idea in English in daily life.Compared with the baby,we are reluctantly to speak English.Even those college students with CET 4 or CET 6 certificate,most of them refuse to speak English in the public.Are they shy to speak English or lazy to speak English?

Problem 5:Learning for Examination or for some Further Motivation?

The Ministry of Education in China stipulates all the Chinese students should learn English from primary school to middle school to university or college.And even some children learn English in the kindergarten at age of 3 or 4.It is known for all the people that English is necessary and compulsory to learn well as a crucial course.However, different from some country such as India,Singapore or Pakistan,China does not list English as one kind of official languages except Mandarin. In contrast to the countries with over 2 official languages,China cannot provide a practical language situation for English learners.Although English as a compulsory course is learned by millions of learner,most learning is negative or examination-oriented.

We can divide the learning motivation into:instrumental motivation, integrative motivation,resultative motivation and intrinsic motivation(Dai, 2002).Instrumental motivation means we learn English for external goals such as passing some exams,financial rewards or furthering a career etc. Integrative motivation is to indentify with the target culture.Resultative motivation is to achieve external purpose.Intrinsic motivation is to gain enjoyment or pleasure from learning.Looking around us,we are easy to find most of us learn English out of examination positively or negatively.

When we are on the way of learning English,we should stop to rethink the meaning of action instead of putting the problems aside and doing according to the rule.So what are the reasons for these problems? The paper tries to analyze the deep reasons for the problems of English teaching in China from the perspective of Beert Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory.

2 Beert Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension and Reasons for Problems of English-learning in China

Geert Hofstede proposed a systematic framework for assessing and differentiating national cultures best known as the cultural dimensions theory.He gathered and analyzed extensive data on the world's values and cultures,particularly through the IBM survey study,in order to build a comprehensive model which argues that people differ across on the extent to which they endorse five dimensions of values-power distance, individualism-collectivism,uncertainty avoidance,masculinity-feminism and long-term orientation.

With his five dimensions model,Geert Hofstede shed light on these differences.Therefore,it is a great tool to use in order to have a general overview and an approximate understanding of other cultures and,to know how to behave towards individuals from other countries.Because, we still need to cooperate with members of other cultures,and maybe more than ever with the new problems which have arisen for several decades like environmental issues. Therefore cross -cultural understanding is indispensable.

The five dimensions model is widely used in many domains of human social life,and particularly in the field of business.However, Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory is not only applied in the business field but also other fields such as English teaching in this paper.The paper tries to analyze the deep reasons for the problems of English teaching in China.

2.1 The Power Distance Index(PDI)

The Power Distance Index focuses on the degree of equality,or inequality,between people in the country's society.A high Power Distance ranking indicates that inequalities of power and wealth have been allowed to grow within the society.The higher the index is,the worse inequality is.This condition is not necessarily forced upon the population but,rather,accepted by the society as the cultural heritage.

China is a country with long history and traditions influenced by Confucian philosophy.In Confucius’s time,in order to maintain the social hierarchical system,Confucius advocated respect for one’s teachers and authorities.This must affect people’s world outlook,values and behaviors.In English-learning process,the relationship between teachers and students is dominating and obedient,which can reflect the PDI theory.Based on the relationship,students view teachers first as a ruler of their scores and examination.Naturally,students are unwilling to communicate with a ruler or even raise a question for discussing.

2.2 Individualism-collectivism

Individualism focuses on the degree to which the society reinforces individual or collective achievement.Loyalty is a highly regarded trait in a society where relationships are strong and is,therefore,of paramount importance to most Chinese people.The"collectivist"thinking of a culture such as China also tends to be extremely parochial,with people and businesses not changing suppliers lightly for fear of the impact on relationships.In other words,if all the members of my family shop at a certain store,then I,too,should shop there.However,once a change is made,the new relationship will enjoy loyalty.

China is a comparatively collectivist country,which can reflect it from the teaching model—lectures.Lectures and seminars are totally different teaching models:the former mean one teacher explains some knowledge to many students;the latter mean many students are in discussion under the guidance of one teacher.We can say lectures are the collectivist teaching model;however,seminars are the individualist model.Most of English lessons belong to lectures and according to this students will make comments on the quality of teaching.Students passively absorb the knowledge delivered by teachers and practice the exercises,which will be commended hard working.According to this stereotype,an English lesson is a teachers-oriented model.Students attend lessons lacking of some interest and enthusiasm.

2.3 Uncertainty Avoidance

The Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)focuses on the level of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity within a society.A high Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates that the country has a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity (people will tend to be heavily driven by laws and rules).Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules,safety and security measures,and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth;'there can only be one Truth and we have it'.People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional,and motivated by inner nervous energy.The opposite type,uncertainty accepting cultures,are more tolerant of opinions different from what they are used to;they try to have as few rules as possible,and on the philosophical and religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side.People within these cultures are more phlegmatic and contemplative,and not expected by their environment to express emotions.

In English lesson of China,teachers have to teach English as the curriculum guideline stipulated by the Ministry of Education,which is also to avoid uncertainty.Both teachers and students are unwilling to accept uncertainty under these circumstances.If a teacher cannot explain any knowledge points very clearly or well,who is not qualified for a good teacher.Different from western lessons with freely discussion and open answers,Chinese teaching and learning is a model of questioning and answering.Even students are asked to answer some questions,they are expected to give some satisfactory answers.From these,we can easy to find that English lessons tend to avoid any uncertainty.

2.4 Masculinity-Feminism

The Masculinity (MAS)Dimension focuses on the degree to which the society reinforces,or does not reinforce,the traditional masculine work role modelofmale achievement,controland power.High masculinity,according to Hofstede (1980),involves a high valued placed on things,power,and assertiveness,while people,quality of life,and nurturance are low on masculinity society or high on femininity society. Cultural systems high on the masculinity index emphasize differentiated sex roles,performance,ambition,and independence.Conversely,systems low on masculinity value fluid sex roles,quality of like,service and independence.The assertive pole has been called'masculine'and the modest,caring pole'feminine'.The women in feminine countries have the same modest,caring values as the men;in the masculine countries they are somewhat assertive and competitive,but not as much as the men,so that these countries show a gap between men's values and women's values.

In China,most English teachers are females who are caring and considerate.However,in lessons teachers are rulers,dominant and assertive.Based on this phenomenon,can we easy to draw a conclusion English teaching model masculine or feminine?

In English lessons,students are shy to speak English even they have had enough vocabulary or mastered grammar,which is more feminine. But if they are required to finish an English paper,they will more active and assertive.So can we directly say students are masculine or feminine? Therefore we mustanalyze the phenomenon completely based on Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory.

According to Hofstede’s theory,“masculine”means more active and dominant wile “feminine”means more passive and receptive,which is alike the teaching model of English lessons in China.In conclusion,the teaching and learning model in English lessons of China is masculine and feminine,i.e.teaching is more active and dominant while learning is more passive and receptive.

2.5 Long-term Orientation

Long-Term Orientation (LTO)versus short-term orientation:this fifth dimension was found in a study among students in 23 countries around the world,using a questionnaire designed by Chinese scholars.It can be said to deal with Virtue regardless of Truth.This dimension indicates a society's time perspective and an attitude of perseverance, that is,the society's willingness to overcome obstacles over time (with a fair measure of will and strength).Values associated with Long Term Orientation are thrift and perseverance;values associated with Short Term Orientation are respect for tradition,fulfilling social obligations,and protecting one's'face'.Both the positively and the negatively rated values of this dimension are found in the teachings of Confucius,the most influential Chinese philosopher who lived around 500 B.C.;however,the dimension also applies to countries without a Confucian heritage.

In English-learning,the number of Chinese learning English for examination is far more than that of people learning for further motivation.Learning for examination is short-termed orientation,which also indicates that,learning English will not a permanent and meaningful behavior.As for long-term orientation of learning English,we have to search for further learning motivation related with our own career or life development.And we can infer crazily leaning English for examination must fail to use in practice because of short-termed orientation.This is embarrassment and dilemma facing Chinese English-learners.On the other hand,we acknowledge the importance of English in the global village meanwhile.Without the help of English as the most useful language tool,we cannot communicate with the other countries.So longterm orientation of English-learning must be made and implemented instead of meeting the goal of all levels of examinations.

3 Conclusion

Geert Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions,including power distance, individualism-collectivism,uncertainty avoidance,masculinity-feminism and long-term orientation,have an active influence on culture-diversified fields especially in business one.English lessons of China have a lot of problems facing teachers and students and stop the way to gain the expected achievement.So this paper analyzes Hofstede’s theory to find the rooted reasons of the problems caused by the culture.We are looking forward to the improvement and the achievement of today’s English teaching.

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