On The Status And Role Of Cultural Awareness In Language Teaching

The complexity of Chinese subject's nature depends on the educative functional pluralism of the Chinese subject. In recent years, the Chinese teaching has always been teaching materials of basic educative courses, a main studying point of the teaching method and one of reforming difficulties. The debates about the Chinese subject's nature have lasted for half of a century off and on. In 1997, it caused a discussing upsurge on the Chinese education in the cultural circles and educational circles. Facing such a hot debating occasion, on the one hand, we are gratified that there are so many people to care about the Chinese teaching, on the other hand, we also realize that the establishment of the Chinese education need not only the warm occasion of letting a hundred schools of thought contend, but also scientific and advanced theoretical guide and studying methods. The author expounds some of his own superficial recognition and understanding in the article on only two questions: the location of the Chinese subject's property and the constructed Chinese teaching tactics based on the location. We hope to arouse sympathy.With the influence of exam-oriented education, the counters of instrumentalization are more and more obvious in the Chinese education. The process of teaching gradually evolves a training process with highly technique. Humanity of the Chinese subject is ignored so the result is just "Shortness, waste, slowness and weakness". There is no doubt that the location becomes the reforming basis and starting point of the Chinese teaching.However, discussing the Chinese subject's nature, we are affected, in a deep degree, by contrary dualism that is one or the other, and think humanity and instrumentalization have no internal unity and don't unite to one thing (Chinese subject). But through observing the vehicles of theChinese teaching content--language special nature, it is not difficult tofind that language not only is a symbol system used to transit the messagesand exchange the ideas by human beings, but also reflects a mode of thinking a nation uses to recognize the world. The national culture also attached to the language is inherited and developed. It loads culture and language itself is culture. The article acts with care to prove that the Chinese subject is a comprehensive science laying equal stress on matter and spirit.In face of the new century and the extremely dissimilated form of the Chinese teaching, establishing the Chinese teaching and reforming system which is full of humane solicitude is of great urgency. Therefore, the article claims that optimizing the Chinese teaching should be based on the following principles: lay stress on the cultivation of student's initiatives, personality and creativeness, try to make a breakthrough with regard to the choice of teaching materials and course setting, and seek a way for the democratization pursuing and living extension of the Chinese teaching.