更新时间:2026-01-05
Building a network of cultural meanings in Chinese foreign language teaching materials
文秋芳    作者信息&出版信息
Foreign Language Education in China   ·   2026年1月5日   ·   2025年 8卷 第6期   ·   DOI:10.20083/j.cnki.fleic.2025.0056
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1 Introduction

This section discusses the importance of foreign language textbooks as cultural mediators against the backdrop of a complex and ever-changing international landscape, emphasizing their pivotal role in guiding learners to understand diverse cultures, deepening their awareness of their own cultural identity, and facilitating the dissemination of Chinese culture. It highlights the phenomenon of "Chinese cultural aphasia" observed in past foreign language teaching materials, as well as the recent emphasis on Chinese cultural learning in the national foreign language curriculum standards issued by the Ministry of Education. Additionally, it identifies new challenges in the presentation of cultural content in foreign language textbooks, such as fragmentation, superficiality, and disconnection, along with the fragmented nature of ideological and political education in curricula. Three research questions are proposed to explore the components, construction principles, and implementation pathways of a cultural network framework for foreign language textbooks, while introducing the theoretical framework based on the "cultural connectivity perspective."

2 Elements and Relationships in the Cultural Network Framework

This section examines the elements and interrelationships within the cultural network framework for foreign language textbooks. First, it critiques the "quantitative view of culture" prevalent in textbook development, where cultural content is fragmented and lacks coherence, hindering learners' holistic understanding of culture. In contrast, the "cultural connectivity perspective" emphasizes treating cultural phenomena as interconnected systems, fostering comprehension through comparison, dialogue, and interaction. The cultural network framework is then outlined, comprising two components: a value system and cultural content. The value system spans four levels—individual, societal, national, and global—each encompassing distinct value elements such as patriotism, integrity, and others, which should be dynamically adjusted based on educational objectives. Cultural content includes target-language cultures, Chinese culture, and other foreign cultures. The uniqueness of foreign language textbooks lies in cultivating students as mediators of multicultural communication, requiring both an understanding of foreign cultures and a deep appreciation and dissemination of Chinese culture. Finally, the four levels of the value system are elaborated upon, illustrating their independence and interconnectedness in forming a cohesive value transmission pathway. Using "dedication and diligence" as an example, the discussion demonstrates its manifestations and emphases across different levels, showcasing how values expand from the individual to societal, national, and global dimensions, creating an integrated chain of value transmission.

3 Principles for Constructing the Cultural Network

This section explores the principles for constructing a cultural network in Chinese foreign language textbooks. First, it underscores the importance of "value guidance," advocating for the integration of value elements into curriculum themes and sub-themes to achieve indirect and constructive value education. Second, it emphasizes the need to differentiate learning objectives across educational stages, ensuring clear cultural learning goals that foster progressive development of students' intercultural competence. Next, it examines the primary tension between Chinese and foreign cultures in foreign language education, stressing the significance of interactive relationships between target-language cultures and Chinese culture, while highlighting the necessity of distinguishing primary and secondary aspects in meaning construction. Lastly, it proposes the principle of "anchoring in the present," which positions advanced socialist culture at the core while integrating outstanding traditional Chinese culture and revolutionary culture to cultivate students' cultural agency and interpretive skills.

4 Pathways for Constructing the Cultural Network

This section investigates the pathways for constructing a cultural network in Chinese foreign language textbooks, focusing on two core cognitive approaches: "comparison" and "connectivity." The "comparison" pathway analyzes the commonalities and differences between Chinese and foreign cultures, aiding learners in understanding diverse cultural phenomena. For instance, it explores Western concepts like "democracy" and "human rights" from a Chinese perspective and compares manifestations of "dedication and diligence" across cultures to reveal deeper cultural values and social norms. The "connectivity" pathway emphasizes establishing internal linkages within cultural content to eliminate isolated knowledge points, including historical longitudinal connections (temporal dimension) and spatial connections among value elements across individual-societal-national-global levels. These approaches aim to transition learners from fragmented knowledge to networked understanding, fostering comprehensive value development.

5 Case Study: Cultural Network Construction

Using "green practices" as an example, Tables 3 and 4 illustrate how to construct a cultural network in English language teaching across primary, junior high, senior high, and university levels. Key methodologies include: 1. Applying the four principles (value guidance, differentiated learning objectives, addressing primary contradictions, and anchoring in the present); 2. Implementing the two pathways (comparison and connectivity). Specific activities involve: 1. "Scaling impact" activities to help students recognize the connections between individual actions and societal, national, and global changes; 2. "Tracing roots" activities to guide students in applying "connectivity" to understand traditional philosophies of harmonious coexistence with nature; 3. "Bridging cultures" activities to compare Chinese and foreign approaches to climate change, exploring responsibility attribution. These activities deepen students' comprehension of cultural values through language learning.

6 Conclusion

The proposed cultural network framework remains exploratory and has yet to be applied to full sets of foreign language textbooks. Future efforts will focus on implementing this framework, along with its principles and pathways, followed by iterative refinement through practice. The presentation of cultural content in foreign language textbooks is a matter of national sovereignty and will, directly serving the mission of educating talent for the Party and the country. Current textbook developers often lack sufficient awareness, depth, and a sense of responsibility in this regard. It is imperative to enhance their cultural consciousness and accountability to ensure textbooks effectively transmit correct values and cultural connotations, nurturing high-quality foreign language professionals with both patriotic dedication and global vision.

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