The Influence Of Chinese And Brazilian Cultural Differences On The Teaching Of Chinese As A Second Language

Several scholars already pointed out to the close relation between language and culture.If we accept their argument,we must recognize that the teaching of Chinese as second language cannot be apart from the teaching of Chinese culture.When researchers of Chinese as second language engage in cultural comparison,they frequently use English speaking countries as representatives of the Western Civilization.We understand it is important to state the fact that,although Brazil and English speaking countries have to some extent inherited the same cultural background(that is to say,Judeo-Christian ethics,Greek thinking and literature,Roman political thinking,not to mention the influence of contemporary American culture),certainly there are still differences between these countries,and therefore it is essential to engage in the research of the specific case of Brazilians students.We understand that the reseach on Brazilian culture and on the situation of Brazilian students is still quite insufficient,therefore,for a better understanding of the attitude Brazilian students have towards Chinese culture,this article will employ survey and cultural comparison,so that teachers of Chinese as second language,when dealing with Brazilian students,can avoid cultural shock and increase teaching efficiency.This thesis investigate the difficulties that brazilians students may face in the process of learning Chinese culture,and how cultural differences influence the language acquisition process and how they cause cultural shocks.We focus on three aspects of culture: modesty culture,hierarchical relations and relations between the sexes.