Language and culture are closely interrelated. Language is the cartier of culture and culture is the soil of language. One is inseparable from the other. Therefore, it is impossible to learn a language well without the good command of its culture. This book is an endeavor to explore the cultural factorS embodied in language. It is a contrastive study of cultural differences from the perspective of different levels of language, namely, vocabulary, syntax and text as well.

This book intends to provide the basic knowledge about language and culture which is practical and helpful in the language learning. It will be of great use to advanced under-graduates, as well as English learners.

Chapter One Introduction

 1.1 Why Do We Study This Course?

 1.2 What Is Culture?

 1.3 Features of Culture

 1.4 Classification of Culture

 1.5 The Relationship between Language and Culture

Chapter Two Comparing and Contrasting of Cultures

 2.1 Necessity of Comparing and Contrasting Cultures

 2.2 Method of Comparing and Contrasting Cultures

Chapter Three A Touch of Chinese Philosophy--Confucianism

Chapter Four Differences of Thought Patterns

 4.1 Analytical Thinking vs. Comprehensive Thinking

 4.2 Abstract Thinking vs. Figurative Thinking

 4.3 Converse Thinking vs. Straight Thinking

Chapter Five Cultural Connotation of Color Words(I)

 5.1 Red vs. “红” and Their Cultural Connotations

 5.2 White vs. “白” and Their Cultural Connotations

 5.3 Black vs. “黑” and Their Cultural Connotations

Chapter Six Cultural Connotation of Color Words(II)

 6.1 Green vs. “绿” and Their Cultural Connotations

 6.2 Yellow vs. “黄” and Their Cultural Connotations

 6.3 Blue vs. “蓝” and Their Cultural Connotations

Chapter Seven Cultural Connotation of Animal Words in English and Chinese

 7.1 Complete Corresponding Relationship

 7.2 Half Corresponding Relationship

 7.3 Non-corresponding Relationship

Chapter Eight Idioms in English and Chinese

 8.1 The Definition of Idioms

 8.2 The Sources of Idioms

 8.3 The Classification of Idioms

Chapter Nine Cultural Differences in Syntactic Structures

 9.1 Hypotactic vs. Paratactive

 9.2 Abstract vs. Figurative

 9.3 Inanimate vs. Animate

Chapter Ten Cultural Differences in Communicative Style

 10.1 Inductive

 10.2 Deductive

Chapter Eleven Nonverbal Communication

 11.1 What Is Nonverbal Communication?

 11.2 Channels of Nonverbal Communication

 11.3 Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication

 11.4 Functions of Nonverbal Communication

 11.5 Cultural Influence on Nonverbal Communication