A Study On Culture Distribution In The Textbook Series Of New Standard College English

Language and culture are inseparable.To master a language,one must fathom the cultural connotation contained in the language.In recent years,college English teaching has paid more and more attention to culture teaching and the input of cultural information.The College English Curriculum Requirements point out that College English Textbooks should reflect the culture knowledge accumulated by human beings.As the main material for college students to learn English,College English Textbooks play an important role in cultivating students’ cross-cultural communicative competence.Study on the characteristics of culture distribution in College English Textbooks has enlightenment for both teachers and textbook compilers.It is of significance for cultivation of college students’ cross-cultural communicative competence.Using content analysis of single reading passages and comparative analysis of passages in each unit,the study figures out the characteristics of culture distribution in the textbook series of New Standard College English(second edition)based on culture classification of different languages,and explores possible problems existing `in culture distribution of College English Textbooks.It is found that British and American cultures are dominant,cultures of the Outer Circle Countries are seriously lacking,comparative culture has an obvious advantage,but Chinese culture is insufficient.Specifically,British and American culture and comparative culture have obvious advantages,and cultures of the Outer Circle Countries are seriously lacking in each set of textbooks in the series.Cultural comparisons are made mainly between cultures of the inner circle countries and that of the Expanding Circle Countries,between British culture and American culture,but comparisons with culture of the Outer Circle Countries are very limited.Chinese culture is unevenly distributed in the series of textbooks,which is obviously lacking in Integrated Courses,Listening and Speaking,Skimming and Scanning and Workbooks,but has the highest proportion in Culture Reading.Given the characteristics of culture distribution in the textbook series of New Standard College English,college English teachers can flexibly utilize the contained culture in different textbooks and adopt different ways to teach culture effectively.Textbook compilers can also get inspiration from the findings,and appropriately increase the proportion of Chinese culture and cultures of the outer circle countries in compiling future college English textbooks.