This document contains a selection of presentations given by David Feng to students at the Communication University of China on the topics of English language and culture. It discusses avoiding "Chinglish" and proper grammar usage, the major variants of English, differences between British/Australian and American English, avoiding faults in conversation, correcting Chinglish expressions, academic vs social English, and reverse culture shock after returning from abroad.

1. S
English Language & Culture
Sample Presentations
David Feng
Communication University of China, Beijing
Academic years 2012/13 and 2013/14
These are a small selection of all presentations given to students at
the Communication University of China. They were either enrolled
in the English Language & Culture or Academic English courses, or
both.
This sample not necessarily for use in educational and research
institutions.

2. Welcome1.1
Here is what you will learn this semester:—
✔ ✘
Writing correct English and avoiding “Chinglish”

3. Remember: English likes to be easier! There is no need
for an excess of “polite language”.
Grammar in EN & CN3.1 & 3.1.1

4. Mind Maps...
Letters
(Post / Mail)

5. Remember that there are three major Englishes:—
• British English (used in the British Isles, and in most
other current and previous Commonwealth nations outside
of the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand);
• Australian English (used in Australia and New Zealand);
• American English (used mostly in the United States and
Canada).
In China, American English is becoming increasingly
popular, although in the earlier years, British English was
more in widespread use.

6. • In British and Australian English, as a rule, we write
things differently — here we write colour, centre, prioritise,
sulphur and travelled instead of color, center, prioritize,
sulfur and traveled in American English.
• To mention a quarter of a litre, the US uses .25, whereas
other parts of the English-speaking world tend to include
zero (here: 0.25).
• The Brits tend to be more polite; if they want to say Yes,
they might say I should think so. Americans and
Australians are more direct: here, a simple yep! or yeah
mate! might do.
• In British and Australian English, dates are written day-
month-year, so what’s 1996 年 12 ⽉月 29 ⽇日 in China would
be 29 December 1996 (for short: 29/12/1996) in the UK
and Australia and December 29(th), 1996 (for short:
12/29/1996) in the US.

7. Avoiding Faults in Conversation18.1
2. Don’t use words you can avoid.
The following words in English are known to be
superfluous — as in, words that you can avoid if you can
— because they’re used too often. These include, but
are not limited to, the following:—
• you see
• you know
• if you see what I mean
• do you get the point

8. We Don’t Say It This Way
When Overseas!
“I very like this food.”
This is also a problem as it appears a direct translation from Chinese
to English. What was intended was the expression I like this food
very much, but because to like _____ very much in English has a
different word order in Chinese, Chinglish appears when you
translate 我⾮非常喜欢某个东⻄西 (where the Chinese for very comes
first).
To correct this, remember in English you always say I like this food
very much — as in the thing that you like comes between the very
and the like, and that you reverse the order of the two.

9. Academic English4.1
Exercise:
Say the following in both social and academic
English…
他⼜又犯病了，总是吃完饭就叨叨。

10. Exercise 4.A1 | Correcting Chinglish in Groups
Get together in a group (maximum 3 persons) and correct the following Chinglish.
Time allotted: 10-15 minutes for 8 questions
9
Parking permit required
10
Please wait behind the line

11. 8
English Language and Culture
Welcome
REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK
Question 1:
"You get used to a certain way of life over there,"
Curtis said, "and adjusting to things here now is
difficult. You're trying to get your feet under you
and keep up with everyone else; you're trying to
figure out what is going on and the stuff you
missed."
What is being described here? Elaborate in detail.