论文部分内容阅读
【Abstract】This thesis is the study of characteristics of China English in its historical development. And it focuses on the foreign language education policy in different historical periods, which illustrates the social and historical factors and influences. Then it is the conclusion that the relationship between the linguistic variation and the language policy. From this it will be found some Chinese loan words in English which can show the characteristics of China English in different social and historical contexts.
【Key words】China EnglishDiachronic characteristicsLoan words
【中图分类号】H31【文献标识码】A【文章编号】1006-9682(2010)02-0014-02
基金项目:辽宁省社科联科研项目(编号:2009LSLKTWX-26);沈阳工程学院科研基金(人文)青年项目
With the plurality and internationalization of English, English is transcreated by different users with different socio-cultural backgrounds and integrated with other languages and cultures of the different speakers. Therefore different linguistic conventions and cultural traditions might be transplanted into different World Englishes. On the background of plurality and internationalization of English, China English is developing and attracting many scholars’ interest both home and abroad.
China English refers to one variety of English used by the speakers with Chinese linguistic and cultural background. It has the Chinese linguistic and cultural characteristics. It can reach the aim of communication and can be accepted by English speakers with other linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
In this thesis it is the study of characteristics of China English in its historical development. Here it is focused on the foreign language education policy in different historical periods because it illustrates the social and historical factors and influences. Then it is the conclusion that the relationship between the linguistic variation and the language policy. From this we will find some Chinese loan words in English which can show the characteristics of China English in different social and historical contexts.
1.Historical Study of English Language Education Policy in China
The history of English language education in China begins from the establishment of Jingshi Tongwen Guan and it can be divided into three periods, the Qing Dynasty, the Republic Era and the People’s Republic of China, and the third period is divided into two according to the differences in foreign language education polices. In each period, it shows the influence of the Chinese politics and social changes on the foreig n language education policy.
The first period is the Qing Dynasty from 1862 to 1911. In this period, the role of English language education was to study China for essence and to study the West for utility, and the objectives are to know the world and to read Western books. So we can find that the policy is manipulated by social changes. In other words, it is strongly connected with the Chinese politics and society. It has experienced a process from the narrow-minded objectives to the most open-minded ones just as China has experienced its development from a self-contained society to an open country in the world.[6]
In the second period the Republic Era, the objectives of English education was to study English for practical purposes. And the status of English language education was highly evaluated as the vehicle to know the Western democracy and science in New Cultural Movement.
Next in the People’s Republic of China Era, it focused on better understanding the Chinese language and culture and widening the students’ horizon from 1949 to 1978. Because of the international relationship with western countries, the English language education shared low official status. However, since 1963, the objectives began to have a heavy political bias. English was regarded as a useful tool in the international class struggle, in uniting the world to fight against international hegemony to cultivate foreign language talents of both red and expert.
The fast development of English education in China was after the carrying out reform and opening-up policy in 1978. In 1979, a very important document “Some Proposals on Strengthening Foreign Language Education” put forward by the National Seminar on Foreign Language Education and ratified by the State of Council waspublished. And the objectives of English teaching were described as “to realize the Four Modernizations, strengthen the friendly communication between China and other countries in the world”. It also pointed out that a high level of foreign language teaching was one of the important parts of raising the level in science and culture of the whole nation, and one of the necessary conditions of being an advanced country and nation as well. Nevertheless, there was still one sentence in this document having a political color, “to establish a united line against international hegemony”. But as a whole this document reflected the change of our foreign language policy from having a strongly political bias to a more open attitude towards English.
From then on the objectives of teaching English in the syllabus have shifted to the importance of English as a tool in every field of social activities. Furthermore, learning English is to get to know, understand and respect the English language and culture, and simultaneously to know better and love our motherland language and culture. As a result, English learning and teaching becomes a process to perfect the humanistic personalities of the learners.
2.Influences of English Language Policy on Linguistic Variation
In Chinese context, English language education policy had inevitably influenced the variation of English in China.
First of all, political biases would affect the use of English freely. There were more political colors on English, which was illustrated by English journals and newspapers published in China to propagandize China to the world, and the contents of text books in some particular historical periods.
Second, when foreign language education was applied to very few social elites, the chance for English deviation from the norm was slim, because language deviation or innovations are most active in the middle class according to Labov.
Third, when the syllabus attaches great importance to the practical use of English in international communication or learning Western science and technology, the norm of English will be much more emphasized. In other words, the speakers or users of English in China would more likely tune into Standard English. Nevertheless, when the syllabus attaches importance to the learning of English as a tool for getting to know and respect both the English and Chinese languages and cultures, there would be more variation potential.
Therefore, the influence of the English language education policy on the variation of English could be quite indirect, but fundamental. It manipulates the way people learn English and constrains the scope in which English is spread.
3.Chinese Loan Words in English
According to Cannon,[1] at least 979 Chinese loan words have been collected into British or American published dictionaries. However, a recent report says that there are altogether 1,488 Chinese loan words.[7] It takes the eleventh place of all the languages, which contribute to English vocabulary.
A large number of the loan words are from translation. In different periods, the loan words have different social and cultural characteristics. In the following part, there are some words with Chinese social and cultural characteristics in different periods.
In 1950s words like great leap forward(大跃进), paper tiger(纸老虎), official profiteering(官僚), reform through labor(劳动改造)and so on all showed the social and political characteristics in that periods.
Words like the Great Cultural Revolution(文化大革命), little red book(小红书), red-banner holders(三八红旗手), the gang of four(四人帮), hundreds flowers(百花齐放), iron rice bowl(铁饭碗), barefoot doctor(赤脚医生)and so on reflected the social and political characteristics in 1960s and 1970s in China.
In and after 1990s there appear many new expressions with Chinese social and cultural characteristics, such as fairly comfortable standard of living(小康), one country two systems(一国两制), spiritual civilization(精神文明), vegetable basket project(菜篮子工程), laid-off worker(下岗工人) and so on.
In 21st century, with expanding the China’s reform and opening up, there appear many new words and expressions, such as harmonious socialist society(社会主义和谐社会), people’s well-being(民生), new type of rural cooperative medical care system(新型农村合作医疗制度), low-rent housing(廉租房), stay-at-home children(留守儿童), rural migrant workers(农民工) and so on.
Actually, it has been a long way for most of the Chinese loan words being accepted in English. It depends very much on the change of society and the development of China. When there are more chances for language contact between English and Chinese, and for communication between China and the world in English, there are inevitably more chances for the Chinese loan words to join in the English vocabulary repertoire. Furthermore, when Chinese loan words, especially those in the shape of Chinese Pinyin or dialect come into English vocabulary, they are often reshaped by the English pronunciation and spelling. As a matter of fact, in the process of assimil ation with English, some of them have changed so much that it is difficult to recognize its origin, for instance, tea, silk and china.
Reference
1 Cannon, G. Chinese Borrowings in English, American Speech. 1988, 63: 1～12
2 Kachru, B. B. Institutionalized Second-language Varieties. In S.Greenbaum(ed.)The English Language Today. Oxford: Pergamon Press Ltd. 1985
3 Kachru, B. B. The Other Tongue: English across Cultures. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. 1982/1992
4 Kachru, B. B. Asian Englishes: Contexts, Constructs and Creativity. Keynote Address. The 12th World Congress of the International Association of Applied Linguistics. Tokyo. 1999
5 Kirkpatrick, A. & Xu, Zhichang. Chinese Pragmatic Norms and “China English”. World Englishes . 2002. 21.2
6 Pan Zhangxian, Linguistic and Cultural Identities in Chinese Varieties of English. Beijing: Peking University Press . 2005
7 Wang Rongpei, An Advanced Course of English Lexicography. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press . 2002
【Key words】China EnglishDiachronic characteristicsLoan words
【中图分类号】H31【文献标识码】A【文章编号】1006-9682(2010)02-0014-02
基金项目:辽宁省社科联科研项目(编号:2009LSLKTWX-26);沈阳工程学院科研基金(人文)青年项目
With the plurality and internationalization of English, English is transcreated by different users with different socio-cultural backgrounds and integrated with other languages and cultures of the different speakers. Therefore different linguistic conventions and cultural traditions might be transplanted into different World Englishes. On the background of plurality and internationalization of English, China English is developing and attracting many scholars’ interest both home and abroad.
China English refers to one variety of English used by the speakers with Chinese linguistic and cultural background. It has the Chinese linguistic and cultural characteristics. It can reach the aim of communication and can be accepted by English speakers with other linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
In this thesis it is the study of characteristics of China English in its historical development. Here it is focused on the foreign language education policy in different historical periods because it illustrates the social and historical factors and influences. Then it is the conclusion that the relationship between the linguistic variation and the language policy. From this we will find some Chinese loan words in English which can show the characteristics of China English in different social and historical contexts.
1.Historical Study of English Language Education Policy in China
The history of English language education in China begins from the establishment of Jingshi Tongwen Guan and it can be divided into three periods, the Qing Dynasty, the Republic Era and the People’s Republic of China, and the third period is divided into two according to the differences in foreign language education polices. In each period, it shows the influence of the Chinese politics and social changes on the foreig n language education policy.
The first period is the Qing Dynasty from 1862 to 1911. In this period, the role of English language education was to study China for essence and to study the West for utility, and the objectives are to know the world and to read Western books. So we can find that the policy is manipulated by social changes. In other words, it is strongly connected with the Chinese politics and society. It has experienced a process from the narrow-minded objectives to the most open-minded ones just as China has experienced its development from a self-contained society to an open country in the world.[6]
In the second period the Republic Era, the objectives of English education was to study English for practical purposes. And the status of English language education was highly evaluated as the vehicle to know the Western democracy and science in New Cultural Movement.
Next in the People’s Republic of China Era, it focused on better understanding the Chinese language and culture and widening the students’ horizon from 1949 to 1978. Because of the international relationship with western countries, the English language education shared low official status. However, since 1963, the objectives began to have a heavy political bias. English was regarded as a useful tool in the international class struggle, in uniting the world to fight against international hegemony to cultivate foreign language talents of both red and expert.
The fast development of English education in China was after the carrying out reform and opening-up policy in 1978. In 1979, a very important document “Some Proposals on Strengthening Foreign Language Education” put forward by the National Seminar on Foreign Language Education and ratified by the State of Council waspublished. And the objectives of English teaching were described as “to realize the Four Modernizations, strengthen the friendly communication between China and other countries in the world”. It also pointed out that a high level of foreign language teaching was one of the important parts of raising the level in science and culture of the whole nation, and one of the necessary conditions of being an advanced country and nation as well. Nevertheless, there was still one sentence in this document having a political color, “to establish a united line against international hegemony”. But as a whole this document reflected the change of our foreign language policy from having a strongly political bias to a more open attitude towards English.
From then on the objectives of teaching English in the syllabus have shifted to the importance of English as a tool in every field of social activities. Furthermore, learning English is to get to know, understand and respect the English language and culture, and simultaneously to know better and love our motherland language and culture. As a result, English learning and teaching becomes a process to perfect the humanistic personalities of the learners.
2.Influences of English Language Policy on Linguistic Variation
In Chinese context, English language education policy had inevitably influenced the variation of English in China.
First of all, political biases would affect the use of English freely. There were more political colors on English, which was illustrated by English journals and newspapers published in China to propagandize China to the world, and the contents of text books in some particular historical periods.
Second, when foreign language education was applied to very few social elites, the chance for English deviation from the norm was slim, because language deviation or innovations are most active in the middle class according to Labov.
Third, when the syllabus attaches great importance to the practical use of English in international communication or learning Western science and technology, the norm of English will be much more emphasized. In other words, the speakers or users of English in China would more likely tune into Standard English. Nevertheless, when the syllabus attaches importance to the learning of English as a tool for getting to know and respect both the English and Chinese languages and cultures, there would be more variation potential.
Therefore, the influence of the English language education policy on the variation of English could be quite indirect, but fundamental. It manipulates the way people learn English and constrains the scope in which English is spread.
3.Chinese Loan Words in English
According to Cannon,[1] at least 979 Chinese loan words have been collected into British or American published dictionaries. However, a recent report says that there are altogether 1,488 Chinese loan words.[7] It takes the eleventh place of all the languages, which contribute to English vocabulary.
A large number of the loan words are from translation. In different periods, the loan words have different social and cultural characteristics. In the following part, there are some words with Chinese social and cultural characteristics in different periods.
In 1950s words like great leap forward(大跃进), paper tiger(纸老虎), official profiteering(官僚), reform through labor(劳动改造)and so on all showed the social and political characteristics in that periods.
Words like the Great Cultural Revolution(文化大革命), little red book(小红书), red-banner holders(三八红旗手), the gang of four(四人帮), hundreds flowers(百花齐放), iron rice bowl(铁饭碗), barefoot doctor(赤脚医生)and so on reflected the social and political characteristics in 1960s and 1970s in China.
In and after 1990s there appear many new expressions with Chinese social and cultural characteristics, such as fairly comfortable standard of living(小康), one country two systems(一国两制), spiritual civilization(精神文明), vegetable basket project(菜篮子工程), laid-off worker(下岗工人) and so on.
In 21st century, with expanding the China’s reform and opening up, there appear many new words and expressions, such as harmonious socialist society(社会主义和谐社会), people’s well-being(民生), new type of rural cooperative medical care system(新型农村合作医疗制度), low-rent housing(廉租房), stay-at-home children(留守儿童), rural migrant workers(农民工) and so on.
Actually, it has been a long way for most of the Chinese loan words being accepted in English. It depends very much on the change of society and the development of China. When there are more chances for language contact between English and Chinese, and for communication between China and the world in English, there are inevitably more chances for the Chinese loan words to join in the English vocabulary repertoire. Furthermore, when Chinese loan words, especially those in the shape of Chinese Pinyin or dialect come into English vocabulary, they are often reshaped by the English pronunciation and spelling. As a matter of fact, in the process of assimil ation with English, some of them have changed so much that it is difficult to recognize its origin, for instance, tea, silk and china.
Reference
1 Cannon, G. Chinese Borrowings in English, American Speech. 1988, 63: 1～12
2 Kachru, B. B. Institutionalized Second-language Varieties. In S.Greenbaum(ed.)The English Language Today. Oxford: Pergamon Press Ltd. 1985
3 Kachru, B. B. The Other Tongue: English across Cultures. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. 1982/1992
4 Kachru, B. B. Asian Englishes: Contexts, Constructs and Creativity. Keynote Address. The 12th World Congress of the International Association of Applied Linguistics. Tokyo. 1999
5 Kirkpatrick, A. & Xu, Zhichang. Chinese Pragmatic Norms and “China English”. World Englishes . 2002. 21.2
6 Pan Zhangxian, Linguistic and Cultural Identities in Chinese Varieties of English. Beijing: Peking University Press . 2005
7 Wang Rongpei, An Advanced Course of English Lexicography. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press . 2002