Abstract: Cross-cultural communicative competence is not only one of the major topics of cross-cultural communication studies but also plays a role as a bridge between English teaching and cross-cultural communication. In practice, however, both teachers and students often consciously or unconsciously follow the traditional thinking pattern and life experiences to consider and solve problems in terms of language education so as to influence their listening and speaking or other aspects of foreign language. Cross-cultural awareness is the basis and premise of cross-cultural communicative competence, so the purpose of this study is to highlight the significance of its function in English teaching and learning and to cultivate more qualified English learners with communicative capacity. The article focuses on three parts to illustrate how the existing problems affect the relationship between cross-cultural awareness and language education. To be effective, comparisons of cross-cultural differences between China and America are presented as well. Furthermore, through theoretical analysis, the suggestions of developing acquirers’ communicative competence and creating the proper classroom climate required by English learning are put forward as well. The paper concludes that it is necessary for the English teachers and learners to know the vital role that cross-cultural awareness plays in language acquisition, and teaching culture of language both deserves language practitioner’s attention.   

Key words: English education; cross-cultural awareness; cross-cultural communicative competence

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

2. Literature Review and Theoretical Framework. 2

  2.1 Definition and Applications of Cross-cultural Awareness

2.2 Inevitable Trend of Cultivating Cross-cultural Awareness

3.Existing Problems Between the Cross-cultural Awareness and Language Education3 

  3.1 Limitations of English Teaching and Learning in Chinese Context

    3.1.1 Influence of Culture on English Listening Performance

    3.1.2 Influence of Culture on English Speaking Performance

  3.2 Cultural Diversity & Cultural vacancy

    3.2.1 Different Life Experiences

    3.2.2 Different Thinking Patterns

  3.3 English Teaching Theories and Actual Teaching Practices in China 

4.Suggestions on Developing Cross-cultural Awareness10       

  4.1 Training and Exciting Students’ Communicative Capacity

  4.2 Creating Western Cultural Atmosphere in Class

  4.3 Effective Combination of Constructivism Teaching and Traditional Teaching Mode

5.Conclusion13

Bibliography.15

Acknowledgements..16