The Influence of Short-term Overseas Exchange on College English Teachers' Multicultural Sensitivity

摘要

To cultivate the multicultural sensitivity is an important goal of college English curricular reform, and is also the inevitable requirement of quality education. Language and culture are closely tied, so are language teaching and the teaching of culture. Nowadays, with the development of globalization, different cultures of different countries conflict with each other much more, so English learning becomes more important than anytime before. At the same time, the relations of the countries in the world are becoming increasingly closer, and cultural conflicts increasingly fiercer; different races, different languages, and different cultures provide different scope of studying to learners, which inject new blood into English learning and also integrate language and culture much more. Under this background, it is necessary to combine language with culture in college English teaching, and to improve the personal comprehensive ability of English teachers. As an efficient way to experience the culture of other countries, short-term overseas exchange has become an important way for many college English teachers to improve their own abilities. Starting from the connotation of multicultural sensitivity, the writer of this thesis tries to discuss the influence of short-term overseas exchange on college English teachers. To cultivate the multicultural sensitivity of college English teachers is not only the objective requirement of the new curricular standard, but also the necessary appeal of the current situations of economy and politics. It lets English teachers practice better personal abilities and get in touch with more different cultures; it requires all-round improvement of English teachers' professional qualities and comprehensive abilities. English teachers can get to constant self-improvement and increase their competitive advantage. English teaching is not a kind of simple language teaching that teaches words and grammars to students, but also an important way of allowing students to understand different cultures, understanding very well about the circumstances of different countries, experiencing the baptism of other excellent cultures, and feeling the charm of multiculturalism. Overseas investigation trip and short-term study aboard could have English teachers directly feel the charm of different countries and enhance their multicultural sensitivities, and get their teaching abilities improved.