Honorifics In Chinese And American English ——A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Sociolinguists tell us that language and culture are closeIy related andcomplementary to each other. Cultures differ from one anothef, that eachculture is unique. As cultures are diverse, languages are diverse. Linguisticexpressions are often culture-loaded and can carry 'supra-linguisticinformation', or otherwise referred to as 'cultural information'. Failure toreceive such infOrmation in cross-cultural communication will probably leadto misunderstanding, or even worse, a communicative breakdown.Cross-cultUral iflterpersonal communication has become more and moreimpoftant. Without communication, a man can't live in his own culturalcommunity; without cross-cultural interpersonal communication, a man can'tsurvive in a new cultural community. Cross-cultural interpersonalcommunication is a matter of life and death and is worthy of our carefulstudy.This thesis draws a cross-cultural comparison of the honorifics inChinese and American English, based upon SaPir-Whorf hypothesis. It alsogoes beneath the surface and explores the cultural sources of the differencesbetween them and the conclusion is that communication is essentially asocial process, influenced by the orientations of interpersonal relationships,which in turn is underpinned by value orientations and philosophicalfoundations. Furthermore, it points out its theoretica1 value and implications.The thesis consists of fOur parts besides the ifltroduction and conc1usion.The introduction demonstrates the significance of the cross-culturalstudy of the honorifics in Chinese and American English. The increasinglglobalization poses unique challenges to the issue of how people fromdifferent cultural backgrounds communicate with each other effectively.Thus the need fOr effective communication in conjunction with culturalawareness is intensified. Honorifics are one of the elements that affect cross-cultural communication effectiveness. It acts as a window through which wecan view what is valued by a particular culture.,ChaPter I surveys the general researches on honorifics in China andAmerica and makes a brief description of the definition, classification, andfunction of the honorifics in Chinese and American English. AlthoughEnglish and Chinese honorifics are similar in function, they differconsiderably in lexical system. The Chinese have an extensive system ofhonorifics. Such differences should be traced to the origin of the notion ofthe specific values in different cultures.,ChaPtcr lI presents the definition of culture, Ianguage, andcommunication, i1lustrates the relationship between culture and language,culture and communication, and language and communication and, further, itdiscusses the relationship between culture and honoriflcs, language andhonorifics, and communication and honorifics. According to Sapif, culture iswhat a society does and thinks. Language is a system of signs that is seen ashaving itself a cultural value. Communication is a dynamic process Wherebyhuman behavior, both verbal and nonverbal, is perceived and responded to.Culture and language are inseparable, any language is a pnd of a cu1ture andany culture is a part of a language. Language plays a very important role inculture. Culture is transmitted through language. SaPir-Whorf hypothesismaintains that language may influence the shaPing and modeling of humanl lthought and behavior in a community. Culture affects and is affected bycommunication. Culture forges and shaPes the individual communication.Communication is cultural. By giving tangible expression to thought,language enables communication with others. Culture and honorifics areclosely related. The actual manifestations of honorifics and the ways toexpress 'respect' and 'modesty' differ in different cultures. Of the threeelements of language, vocabulary is the most important one. Honorifics are aparticular group in both Chinese and American English, which are employedb...