English Teaching for Intercultural Communication in China: Past, Present and Future

There have been papers published in the Chinese mainland or Taiwan or outside of China exploring the relationship between intercultural communication studies and English teaching in China. The present study, applying historicism, points out that these papers, though informative, are far from adequate for lack of equal importance attached to journal papers and books, and to some events of historic significance. The objective of the present study is, therefore, to make up for some missing links in these papers. A rhetorical approach out of various perspectives on ICS is called for so that teachers and students of ICS in China would be better informed to realize effective intercultural communication in English. To this end, this paper first points out that to trace the origin of the relationship between language and culture is a bit far-fetched, for no one could possibly pin down exactly when the relationship was perceived between culture and FLE in general and English teaching in particular. Then a more comprehensive account is made of the development of ICS in China for English Teaching. Third, some barriers in furthering ICS for English teaching in China are clarified as well as their causes. Fourth and finally, a rhetorical approach is suggested to ICS both for descriptions of cultural differences and evaluations of cultural elements that comprise a given culture.