Unveiling Cultural Dynamics: A Survey on China’s CET-4 Passage Translation in the Context of World Englishes
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Abstract
In today’s interconnected world, the diverse manifestations of English varieties have garnered significant attention due to their relevance in the realm of World Englishes. As English continues to interact with various cultures, it gives rise to distinct linguistic variations. In China’s higher education system, significant reforms have been implemented in the evaluation of the College English Test (CET). Notably, the Chinese-English passage translation section underwent noteworthy modifications, incorporating profound Chinese cultural attributes. Against this backdrop, this thesis centers on CET-4 as a starting point to investigate students’ proficiency in Chinese culture, cultural translation competence, and intercultural communication aptitude. This study employed a comprehensive questionnaire and quiz among 164 randomly selected college students from various grades at Guangxi University of Foreign Languages, revealing the significant impact of Chinese culture aphasia on academic performance in the CET translation section. To promote English localization in China, the paper suggests reinforcing the integration and dissemination of Chinese culture within World Englishes, fostering international and cultural perspectives, and enhancing intercultural communication skills for college teachers and students. Simultaneously, these efforts will amplify the distinctiveness of China English, gaining global recognition. This research presents empirical evidence on the influence of cultural elements on language performance, contributing to the growing literature on the interplay between language, culture, and communication in World Englishes. The findings emphasize the importance of promoting cultural awareness in language education for effective intercultural communication in a diverse world.
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