An Investigation On The Present Situation Of English Culture Teaching In Senior Middle Schools

Because of the implementation of the new curriculum standards, people have paid more attention to the cultural instruction. As an important tool of communication, learners need to know the different cultural background. In order to help students achieve the ability of intercultural communication, teachers should combine the language teaching with the cultural instruction.On the basis of the document literature and Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, Error Analysis, Intercultural Communication, the writer tries to analyze the current situation of the cultural instruction operated in high schools through questionnaire survey, interview,class observation. The respondents are teachers and students from Jinhua No.l High School, Jinhua No.2High School and Aiqing High School. This research aims to study the following questions:1. What do teachers know about the cultural instruction?2. How is the practice of the cultural instruction in the English class?3. How can the cultural instruction be effectively carried out in the English teaching?Firstly, the study has found that the teachers do know much about the cultural instruction and they quite support the cultural instruction. Among40teachers surveyed, more than80%of them think that the culture teaching is very important, and it plays a key role in English learning. But only25%of the teachers speak highly of the current situation of culture instruction. Secondly, classroom practice of the cultural instruction is also not satisfactory. There are80students surveyed,70%of whom say that they just listen to the teachers in class. Through class observation, teachers do not take various methods in cultural instruction, which may limit the students’ intercultural communicative ability. Thirdly, the main reasons for poor cultural instruction are college entrance examination system, the lack of time, the teaching resources, teachers’ cultural knowledge, which should be taken seriously if we seek to effectively operate the cultural instruction.The effective cultural teaching need lots of efforts. According to the results, the author gives four suggestions. Firstly, change the traditional teaching idea, balance the language teaching and the cultural instruction. Secondly, dig out vivid and colorful culture points, enrich the cultural content. Thirdly, enhance the teacher’s cultural teaching competence, adopt appropriate teaching methods. Fourthly, create a relaxing learning environment, improve the objective condition for cultural instruction.