对外汉语教学是一种语言教学,同时也是一种文化教学。中美文化背景的差异,使很多中国人之间可能习焉不察的语言现象,都能成为阻碍留学生交际顺利进行的文化冲突或文化障碍。对外汉语教学的重要任务,就是要清除文化障 Teaching Chinese as a foreign language is a kind of language teaching as well as a kind of cultural teaching. The differences in the cultural backgrounds between China and the United States make language phenomena that many Chinese may not observe clearly and can become cultural conflicts or cultural barriers that hinder the smooth progress of international student exchanges. The important task of teaching Chinese as a foreign language is to clear the cultural barrier