Foreign Language Education In The Pre-cultural Perspective

Beginning with the relations between language and culture, the thesis discusses the intrinsic relationship between foreign language teaching and foreign culture teaching. While reviewing the history and the actualities of teaching and learning foreign language and culture in China, we have looked abroad for ideas. After analyzing and evaluating various propositions or options for teaching foreign language and culture in language programmes, we discuss these options in the light of the Chinese situation. Then we bring forward some constructive suggestions .The thesis is divided into four parts.In Part 1, the thesis proposes an international problem: how about the relationship between foreign language and culture? After giving a broad overview of the diversiform definitions of culture so far and discussing the relations between language and culture, the thesis indicates that the emphasis should be given to the study of culture rather than languages alone because it is congruent with the understanding of the inseparability of language and culture, the deficiencies in traditional education and what the learners' competence should be.What are the pedagogical solutions for teaching foreign culture in language education in the West? Can foreign educational experience be "selected" to solve Chinese problem? In Part 2, We survey existing paradigms for teaching culture in foreign language education in Western countries, namely explicit culture studies, communicative language teaching and studies of inter-cultural communication. After analyzing and evaluating the paradigms, we discuss these options in the light of theChinese situation.The deficiencies in our traditional education have become increasingly obvious, so the reform is imperative now. Many teachers have realized the importance of foreign culture teaching, but due to many reasons such as individual capabilities or the maneuverability of traditional teaching methods, they have still maintained the traditional teaching methods in practical teaching. In Part 3, the thesis analyzes thehistory and the actualities of teaching and learning foreign language and culture in China. It also expatiates on the necessity and importance of culture teaching. Then the thesis comes to a conclusion that culture teaching and language teaching must be integrated in the whole process of foreign language learning in pre-school education.Although there're much available literature on the relations between language teaching and culture teaching at home and abroad, few of them deals with that in pre-school education. And there is no perfect theory or paradigm which can be used by pre-school foreign language educators. So in the last part, we think carefully about how to teach preschoolers English and bring forword some constructive suggestions on teaching environment, teaching contents, teaching principles, teaching process and methods as well as teachers' capability in cultural perspective.