UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

FACULTY OF ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES LITERATURE AND CULTURE

THE EFFECT OF CULTURE ON LEARNING CHINESE AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: A

CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE STUDENTS LEARNING CHINESE AS A
SECOND LANGUAGE. DISSERTATION BY

Matanhura Jacqueline(R195004Z)

DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES LITERATURE

AND CULTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS OF BACHELOR OF ARTS DUAL HONORS DEGREE IN CHINESE
AND ENGLISH.

SUPERVISOR: MRS TAHWA

DECLARATION

I Matanhura Jacqueline (R195004Z), hereby declare that this dissertation content represents my
own unaided work and has not previously been submitted for any academic purpose.

Date....................................

Signature __________________________Signature
Supervisor Researcher

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Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge my sincere appreciation to my supervisor Mrs. Tahwa who has
always been understanding and supportive of me in writing my dissertation. I would also like to
thank all my family members and friends who supported me during this adventure especially
Thelma Musingwini for patiently editing this dissertation. I would also like to thank my mother
Netsai Matanhura for her unweaving support financially and emotionally.

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Dedication

I dedicate my dissertation achievement to my mother who with love and effort have
accompanied me in the process.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of culture on learning Chinese language as a
second language. The study focused on the issue of language and culture and how culture is
influencing the acquisition of Chinese language. The study aims to give insight on the
importance of culture is second language learning. Many researchers have found that teaching
language to second language learners is not enough since learners are facing problems in
implementing Chinese culture and language, due to cultural differences. The study highlights the
relationship between culture and language. The researcher used a case study of students
studying Chinese language at the University of Zimbabwe. The researcher used non-probability
and purposive sampling method which utilizes for 10 participants using qualitative paradigm.
Interviews and group discussions were utilized to gather data. The interviews were in -depth
interviews which gives room for the participants to feel free to share their ideas and thoughts.
The study examine how cultural believes and norms could sometimes be a hinderance to ones
learning of a foreign language and affects one’s use of the language. Sometimes these features
are observed as communicative transfer. Thorough analysis denotes that culture, influence the
learning of the second language because of its diversity. Shona culture and Chinese culture are
different in nature, due to this, culture influence the learning of another language because
learners tend to transmit their cultural norms to the targeted language. The findings shows that
second learners need to be aware of their own social-cultural behavior towards the language to
reduce cross- cultural misunderstandings

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Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........................................................................................................................ II
DEDICATION................................................................................................................................... III
ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................................IV
CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................1
1.1Area of Investigation...........................................................................................................1
1.2 Background of the Study...................................................................................................1
1.3 Statement of the problem.................................................................................................3
1.4 Objectives of the study......................................................................................................4
1.5 Research Questions...........................................................................................................4
1.6 Justification of the study....................................................................................................4
1.7 Organization of the study..................................................................................................4
1.8 Chapter Summary..............................................................................................................5
CHAPTER TWO.............................................................................................................................6
2.0 Literature Review.............................................................................................................6
2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................6
2.2. General Overview............................................................................................................6
2.3. Language and Culture.....................................................................................................6
2.4 Conclusion........................................................................................................................10
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY............................................................................................11
3.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................11
3.2 Research approach..........................................................................................................11
3.3 Target Population............................................................................................................11
3.4 Sampling..........................................................................................................................12
3.5iDataicollecting tools........................................................................................................12
3.5.1 Interviews.....................................................................................................................12
3.5.2 Focus Group Discussion (FGDs)....................................................................................13
3.5.3 Secondary source..........................................................................................................13
3.5 Ethical Considerations.....................................................................................................14
3.6 iChapter iSummary..........................................................................................................14
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSSION OF FINDINGS...............15
4.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................15
4.2 Research Findings............................................................................................................15
4.3 The Association between Culture and Language............................................................15
4.2.4 Cultural Differences......................................................................................................17
4.2.4.1 Beliefs.........................................................................................................................17
4.2.4.2 Shopping and Gift -giving...........................................................................................18

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 4.2.4.3 Raising Children in China...........................................................................................19
4.3 Conclusion........................................................................................................................20
CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION......................................21
5.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................21
5.2 Summary of Findings.......................................................................................................21
5.3 Limitations.......................................................................................................................21
5.3.1 Interviews.....................................................................................................................21
5.3.2 Focus Group Discussion................................................................................................22
5.4 Contribution of the study................................................................................................22
5.5 Recommendations...........................................................................................................22
REFERENCES...............................................................................................................................23

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 CHAPTER ONE

1.1Area of Investigation
The study offers an analytical analysis of how Shona culture social values affects the learning of
Chinese language as a foreign language at the University of Zimbabwe. The introductory chapter
briefly discusses the area of investigation and offers a brief history of the research objectives and
the importance of this study. The chapter wrap up by highlighting the organization of the study.
Chinese language has been spreading rapidly across continents. According to Graddol cited in
Plumb (2016) Mandarin Chinese is becoming one of the world’s top languages. This is because
Chinese people are specializing in agriculture which is the main source of global investment.
Mandarin language is being learnt in many regions across the world and it is because the Chinese
people have migrated to many regions of the world in pursuit of business and other interest.
Learners learning Chinese language at Confucius institute at the University of Zimbabwe
consider that Chinese is hard to master. This is because the language is a pictorial language their
way to writing has originated from symbols and pictures to show out their meanings. Language
is a symbolic resource which symbolizes culture. In order to understand language, one need to
understand it's culture because Chinese language is highly connected to its culture. Yang Zhang
(2010) states that Culture is important to the second language acquisition.

1.2 Background of the Study

Mandarin language is spoken by a large group of people in China, and it is becoming the most
spoken language. Many people over the world are learning Chinese this is because China is
becoming the world top economy investor, so to bridge the gap between languages Chinese is
being taught in many countries (Liu Xun 2002). Many products are being produced by the
Chinese and it's important to understand their language to have a good relationship in business.
According to G Chisoni (2015), Zimbabwe and China have established a relationship since the
21st century during the second Chimurenga when the military forces used to go to China to
receive military tools, therefore leading to the rise of Chinese language in Zimbabwe. A similar
study by Zhang Chun (2014) states that China has managed to establish a relationship with
African countries to expand its political and economic ties. The Chinese government shows their

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support by establishing the Confucius Institute over the whole world to spread Chinese culture
and language however the spread of Chinese language and culture is still facing a lot of
challenges due to cultural difference.

Language is a system of communication which human beings use to convey messages through
speech and symbols. Language also transmits culture, its social values, and beliefs. Language
and culture are inseparable one cannot separate the two. Understanding the targeted culture is a
prerequisite to understand language. Kresh (1962) states that learners need to understand the new
language naturally so that they can acquire its principals. Culture is very important in second
language acquisition as it helps the learners to acquire the language effectively. People have
various ways of learning and expressing themselves when learning a new language. For instance,
people use gestures to communicate, and it differs from culture to culture. In Zimbabwe people
are verbally direct, they avoid friction in any conversation. If the person disagrees with
something they are likely show it verbally. On the contrary this differs with age when one doesn't
agree with the opponent for example a father and child conflict the child cannot show his
disapproval directly, but he can action it showing disagreement. For the Chinese it's different
their way of communicating is indirect. In their culture there is need to pay more attention to the
unsaid words than the said words for example, "Yes means No"( Yi and Ellis).

During the culture transfer learners should be able to learn the targeted language without the
interference of their native norms and rules to the new language learning process (Li Sun ,2013).
The learners of the second language acquisition face problems in applying cultural norms of the
targeted language because of the difference between the two cultures. Students may acquire
grammar and vocabulary but fail to speak the language culturally. This is because students find it
very hard to master another language culture because they have already mastered their native
language culture and tends to transfer their cultural norms of the language to the second
language.
The interest to venture into this topic was influenced by the challenges being faced by the
students who are learning Chinese language. Learners whose native language is English, and
Malay are having challenges in mastering the language because the speakers are accustomed to
the Latin alphabet. There are only 26 alphabets in Roman alphabet, learners learn new words

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combining these 26 characters to form words. Chinese is completely different from English and
Malay since it uses a logographic language system rather than an alphabetic one. Malay and
English both utilize 26 leters to spell words, whereas Chinese employs 24 fundamental strokes
mixed in a variety of ways to create radicals which are fundamental building blocks for
characters (Sung,2014). The pronunciation of characters can however vary from as they differ in
radicals yet share the same phonetic components with one another or the individuals share the
same radical but separate phonetic components show no similarity in the range of meanings. A
recent study by (Kaspe,1992) shows that the Chinese people typically make direct requests,
unlike the English speakers who utilize model verbs and interrogative sentences to be courteous.
For example would you kindly shut the door. This behavioral pattern could leave the Chinese
people with a perception of hypocrisy because the Chinese speakers apologize far less
frequently. This is because the learners are transferring their pragmatic knowledge on their
ability to comprehend, produce and learn a second languages pragmatic information.

Chinese has five tones, including high level, (first tone), rising (second tone) falling increasing
(third tone), and falling (fourth tone) which makes it a challenging language for learners to
acquire. To distinguish between characters that are pronounced identically, one must use tones.
For example, /ba/ in the first tone denotes “father” whereas /ba/ in the second tone denotes “pull
out”. In Zimbabwe students find it very hard to master these tones because they use phonetic
language. The mastering of Chinese vocabulary requires practice. The absence of tenses and
numbers of variation terms distinguishes the Chinese language. Thus, the main job of learning
Chinese is vocabulary development, which is connected to learning characters and understanding
culture.

1.3 Statement of the problem

The challenge being faced by the students who are learning Chinese language is the ability to
adapt from phonetic language to tonic. Learners whose native language is English, and Malay are
having challenges in mastering the language because the speakers are accustomed to the Latin
alphabet. In Zimbabwe phonetic language is part of the native language and students who learn
Chinese face difficulties in reading and writing Chinese. The majority of Chinese leaners in
Zimbabwe are adults who have never encounter Chinese culture. A lot of Zimbabwean students

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learning Chinese regard Chinese language difficulty to master. However, there is need to explore
more on the effects of Zimbabwean culture on learning Chinese.

1.4 Objectives of the study

 Helps students to differentiate between the targeted language culture and the native language culture
 Determines the importance of culture in learning a new language
 Help students become aware of the targeted language culture.

1.5 Research Questions

1. How culture is related to language?
2. Can one learn a language without also knowing about its cultural nuances?
3.In what ways does the native language influence the learning of Chinese?

1.6 Justification of the study

Recently most studies have looked on the cultural differences of Zimbabwe and Chinese, but
they did not include it in their teaching process. In Zimbabwe the Shona people have the largest
population for about 85%. Most students at the University of Zimbabwe speak Shona as their
native language. The Shona culture, norms and beliefs affect the acquisition of Chinese language
in a way that they believe that the Chinese has come to colonize their country and resources
through implementing their language. A better understanding of the culture differences in the
Chinese setting and the Zimbabwean population will lead to better ways of navigating challenges
faced when learning Chinese. Therefore, if there is a better way of learning Chinese, there will
be a good understanding of their culture leading to improved social, economic and political
relationships between the two countries.

1.7 Organization of the study

The research is divided into five chapters. First chapter has introduction, statement of problem,
aims and significance of the study. The second chapter analysis literature review and
methodology. Chapter three focus on the methodology and the process through which the current
researcher gathered and analyzed the data. Chapter four present discusses and analysis the
findings of the study. It answers all the research question. Chapter five presents summary of the
study and the conclusion.

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1.8 Chapter Summary
The study commences with the area of Investigation and the reason what motivated the
researcher to do so. The statement of problem was brought out as well as Objectives and research
questions. The following chapter focuses on literature review and theoretical framework guiding
the study.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Introduction
Literature review will explore on the related literature of the study. According to Cohen (1998)
literature review forms the foundation on which to build research. It has been published by
credited scholars and researchers. Cary (1997) defines literature review as a summary analysis
and interpretation of theoretical concept and research literature related to the research study.

2.2. General Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine how culture affects second-language acquisition.
Brown (1994) defines culture as the beliefs, practices, talents, and artistic techniques that
distinguish a particular group of people. Aristotle (2014) defines language as the speaking sound
created by people to communicate their thoughts, feelings, wants, and ideas. According to
Saussure, language is a purely arbitrary system of signs made up of both signifier and signified.
In other words, language is a system that includes both objects and expressions used for objects,
and it is a system that is first and foremost not based on logic or reason.

2.3. Language and Culture

The topic of language and culture was covered by Chisoni (2015). He claims that because the
Chinese language is unique in nature, learning it takes a lot of time and effort. Chisoni continues
by stating that the majority of Chinese terms have cultural connotations that necessitate
explanation as well as the addition of cultural notions. This demonstrates that teaching Chinese
culture while learning Chinese language is the best way to address this issue. Chinese language
date back to more than 3000 years back. It originated as pictographs and from there complex
characters evolved from there. Cangjie is believed to be the legend of Chinese characters it is
said that he was inspired by his study of nature, and he invented symbols the first symbol he
invented was the character Zi 字 the first Chinese characters This means they evolved as
drawings until they were modified to their current state. There are over 55,000 characters for the
Chinese writing system, although they use roughly 5,000 in modern days (Guangxi, 1989).

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"Social cultural theory" by Vygotsky depicts that culture can be learned through observation and
imitating the behavior of native the speakers of the language this shows that learners need to pay
attention to the cultural language the natives use in their daily lives (Vygotsky, 1996).

The relationship between language and culture is that they interlink and are inseparable. They
both create a sense of identity in different context. According to Tretcher and Bucholtz (2001)
states that the ability to use the specific language and specific context, influence the development
of cultural identity. According to Albert Bandura (1997) argues that language and culture
learning is the result one one's observation of the environment and its surroundings. Through
observation students can have cultural knowledge which increases their language acquisition.
Prior studies have focused on the difficulties that learners of Chinese as a second language
encounter. Few individuals place much focus on how Chinese culture and native culture affect
the learning of a second language. Everson et al (1993), claims that the main reason why Chinese
is hard to understand is because words have the same pronunciation but different meanings. The
language involves tones with much more complicated laws. For example, if the first and second
characters have the same third tone then the first character tone will automatically change to the
second tone. Since Chinese culture and language are inextricably linked, it is crucial for teachers,
linguists, and academics to consider how cultural diversity affects the development of Chinese
language. Koda (2004) states that it takes a tremendous amount of patience and persistence to
learn Chinese as a second language. Learning Chinese requires different sociolinguistic and
metalinguistic skills than learning any other language. Finding a way to integrate culture into
language acquisition is crucial for language teachers. Chinese language instruction was first
offered in Zimbabwe at the Confucius institute at the University of Zimbabwe. There hasn't been
much research on how native culture and Chinese culture can influence the learning of Chinese.
Most Chinese learners are adults who had already masters their native language and its culture
and it becomes hard for them to master the second language because they have reached the
critical period of language acquisition. Most students tend to fail on how to master the language
because of their native language interference. Because of Zimbabwe's completely distinct culture
from that of the Chinese people, learning Chinese is quite challenging. When speaking, Chinese
people avoid eye contact and avoid staring. In contrast to Zimbabwe, where eye contact is seen
as being respectful and it is acceptable. Most professors focus more on teaching grammar

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mechanics than cultural concepts, which makes it difficult for many students to communicate
effectively in Chinese because they have mastered grammar and characters but not the cultural
nuances that enable them to do so. The Chinese people pay heed of what is not said than what is
said and this cause havoc in many situations whereas the Zimbabweans are straight forward they
speak their thoughts and ideas in a direct way.

For learners to be able to communicate it is crucial to adapt teaching methods and incorporate
cultural considerations. According to G. Chisoni (2015) the difficulties with learning the Chinese
language are perpetuated by minimizing the significance of culture in the learning process. The
culture and the Chinese language are intertwined. Finding a new framework and teaching
methods that incorporate cultural learning should be the top priorities for learners to improve
their Chinese language acquisition. Not all educators and learners are interested in the culture of
the language being studied. Language learning places a strong emphasis on culture because they
are interconnected and impact one another. Language and culture may appear to be two separate,
distinct domains, but they are interwoven, according to Gleason (1961). Language is not only the
product of cultures but also the representative of cultures. Chaney (1995) states that every word
and signs represent the culture of the speaker. Misunderstandings usually occur because
language is more than a series of words but a reflection of culture. David Crystal (2009) made
known a lingua culture viewpoint in his most recent autobiography, he stated "You must get to
know the locals in order to learn the language and there is no alternative ". Chinese is becoming
a lingua franca, so Crystal thinks that cultural viewpoints are essential to the future of language
teaching and learning. People may quickly tell when someone's command of the language is
lacking, and they may go out of their way try to accommodate a foreigner by speaking more
slowly and simplifying their phrases. However, they struggle to accommodate other cultures.
Because of this, cultural viewpoint needs to be addressed in language learning in a more
methodical manner. Not like it has in the past.

Language serves as a medium of exchange of words in our social interactions, and it is

inextricably linked to culture. The idea put forth by Kramsch (2010) is that "culture and language
are linked and comprise a single cosmos or sphere of experience. Language, according to Hinkel
(2001), is a symbolic form of human communication that is also a component of culture. Every

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culture has a language, and every language has a culture. Chinese has a sophisticated writing
system with various kinship terms to distinguish between. For example, brother and sister, they
have their own way to express these words showing the age of the person for instance 哥哥 and
弟弟 the first character means elder brother and the following young brother. The same goes to
sister 姐姐 and 妹妹 gege is the elder sister and meimei is young sister, the list goes on and on.
Unlike Shona and English, where the terms "uncle" and "sekuru" are singular. Examples like this
shows the different linguistic feature. Many of the misunderstandings, occur because of the
cultural bumps.
According to Jackson (1964), "People who interact develop expectancies about one other's
behavior, not only in the sense that they may anticipate the regularities, but also in the sense that
they develop preferences about how others should behave under certain conditions. The
influence of culture and religion is reflected by Anderson and Powell (1991).

Applied linguists and language instructors think that when studying and teaching a foreign
language, they should utilize the language community's culture more. Acquisition of the second
language is one aspect of acculturation, according to Schumann's Acculturation Model, a
groundbreaking theory of second language acquisition. The degree to which a student adapt to
the target language will determine how well the student picks up the second language
(Pourkalhor and Esfandiari, 2017). Brown (2011) defines acculturation as "the process of
becoming used to new culture" in keeping with Schumann's argument. Language is one of the
most blatant manifestations of culture because learning a second language is associated with
cultures as well as how the targeted language community perceive one another. A critical stage
in the process of learning a second language is acculturation. (Ellis, 1985). According to Richard
"understanding a language includes being able to utilize it for social and communicative
engagement, which means knowing when and how to start a dialogue as well as what topics are
appropriate. In addition to the understanding of the use of grammar. The use of language is
essential for efficient communication according to Byram (2001). According to sociolinguistic
theories, proficiency is beyond linguistic communicative competence it demands that students
have context-specific acquaintance with the social norms of second culture. Learners need to be
observers and employ appropriate attention when conversing with individuals from the second
language this might assist students to have sensible decisions. Learners need to be taught how to

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become sensitive observers and use suitable language if they want to become qualified
communicators in a second or foreign culture. When talking with people of a second or foreign
culture, learning to pay attention to interaction can help learners choose their actions wisely.
However, there is a case to be made that learning about different cultures may be detrimental
until a learner's initial cultural identity is established. According to this perspective, it is
permissible for younger pupils to learn Chinese as a foreign or second language, but not for them
to learn about the culture of Chinese speakers. The argument is predicated on the distinction
between language and culture. The validity of the argument rests on the separation of language
and culture, but as was already said, many academics in the subject believe that this separation is
both unachievable and undesirable if communicative competence is the desired outcome. A
culture that emphasizes communication skills serves communication purposes, but it also has
other significant benefits. It might promote not just the growth of the identity of the language
student but also the knowledge of other people's identities. Additionally, it's crucial for second
learners to be aware of various cultural frames because otherwise, they can interpret messages in
these languages using their own cultural framework, which is a very different approach. There is
universal agreement that culture should be taught in language courses. According to Brooks
(1968) noted that there was ambiguity on what the term culture meant. He asserted that both
teachers and learners should find the concept of culture and beneficials appropriately.

2.4 Conclusion
The chapter commence with an introduction, and it shows the studies in support of the current
study. Then the chapter Pavel a way to the following chapter which will look into Methodology.

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 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction
This chapter presents a detailed description of the methodology used in this research to collect
data, the tools used, data analysis, procedure when conducting the research. This chapter also
presents the sampling method used and the sample size used. In order to carry this research, the
researcher will use qualitative method which allows to obtain data through open ended
interviews and conversational communication. Use of interviews, focus group discussions and
secondary sources were also incorporated as a method of collecting data.

3.2 Research approach

A research approach is a strategy that includes everything from general hypotheses to specific
techniques for gathering, analysing, and interpreting data. The researcher employed a qualitative
technique to get information from the students on how to deal with cross-cultural difficulties. As
a result, the methodologies employed are pertinent since they address the research's aims.

Creswell (2009) states that, qualitative research is more suitable where one needs to gather
information not focusing on the statistics evidence but on non- numerical evidence. The
researcher uses qualitative approach because the research is based on non- numerical evidence,
and it allows interviews and focus group discussions. It also enables the researcher to select
perfect range of respondents based on the researcher's knowledge and experience.

3.3 Target Population

The term "target population" describes a certain area's limited population representing the whole
group where the researcher intends to study. According to Dooly (2005) he defines target
population as a population of people the researcher want to generalize the findings. The target
population of this research were 10 people drawn from University of Zimbabwe. Two Chinese
lecturers and 8 Chinese students from the faculty of languages literature and culture. The target
population is important as it allows the researcher to have findings in small scale sample which
saves time rather than interviewing everyone.

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3.4 Sampling
For this research there was a need to select infinite respondents therefore the researcher
employed a sampling method. Dr. Jessica G. Mills (2021) describes sampling as the process of
choosing a smaller number of individuals from the general population to take part in the study.
The researcher used convenient sampling and purposive sample to choose 10 participants from
the University of Zimbabwe. These kinds of sampling methods are quick and affordable
techniques to collect data. The researcher uses these type of sampling methods because the
participants are specifically chosen due to a particular reason hence it focuses on a specific
group. The is very small and specific thus it allows the researcher to gain detailed knowledge
about the research. Etikan et al. (2016) define purposive sampling as a nonprobability sampling
technique whereby the researcher determines what needs to be known and ascertain who is
voluntarily able to give out the information by virtue of ability and familiarity

The researcher selected the required number of respondents who were convenient by the time the
researcher conducted the research. The researcher approached each participant and addresses the
purpose of the research. Before asking the participants questions the researcher obtained
informed consent from the participants who were willing to participate. Convenient sampling
enables the researcher to save time and it is also easy as the researcher picks only those who
were available at that moment.

3.5iDataicollecting tools

3.5.1 Interviews
The researcher used interviews to gather information. The researcher opted for interviews
because interview questions are open- ended questions hence in- depth information is gathered.
And it allows the researcher to capture emotions and behavior of the participants. Eight
University of Zimbabwe students and two Chinese professors' representatives were interviewed
by the researcher. Face-to-face interviews were used by the researcher to collect information
because the research questions required a great deal of justification. The interviews allow
participants to feel comfortable and free to share their ideas. Conducting interviews were so

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beneficial because it allows the researcher to have first -hand information. However, it was time
consuming and tiresome.
The self- administered interview questions have the following questions:
 Do you believe that studying Chinese is impacted by the culture of your own country?
 Does your culture have any similarities with the Chinese culture?
 What do you think are the problems leading to failure to grasp the targeted language?

3.5.2 Focus Group Discussion (FGDs)

Focus group discussions are a qualitative data collection technique that involve 6 to 12
participants and are facilitated by a trained facilitator. Participants share information relevant to
the topic under discussion (Crossmon 2019). All the participants in this case had something in
common: they were all second-language learners. Because second language learners frequently
study their languages in pairs, this approach was used. There was one group discussion with
seven students from the University of Zimbabwe. These participants ranged in Hanyu Shuiping
Kaoshi level from 1-3 and were learning Chinese as a second language. The researcher was able
to investigate how culture affects the learning of second language. When a participant voiced an
opinion, the researcher asked the group as a whole if they were concurrence or not. The
researcher employed a focus group discussion guide composed of semi-structured questions that
enabled the researcher to go deeper while allowing the participants to express their perceptions,
thoughts, and feelings to clarify the effects of culture on language learning and acquisition. To
advance the conversation, the facilitator encouraged smooth participation from all attendees and
follow-ups on questions.

The Focus Group Discussions participants were asked the same questions as those in an
interview this was done to obtain accurate results using different approach. And it allows the
researcher to evaluate the findings in every data collection. The focus group discussions were
productive as it allows the participants to share their views in a group and they were able to do a
debate which enhances the chance of the researcher to gather more information.

3.5.3 Secondary source

The researcher used secondary sources such as textbooks and internet documents to collect
information. The researcher also used Chinese dramas as a secondary source of information to

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obtain the information required. Secondary sources were so useful sources of obtaining
information regarding Chinese culture on their ways of living. However, using this type of
source was quite challenging because some of the information was outdated and textbooks were
torn with missing pages.

3.5 Ethical Considerations

Rees) confidentiality is a basic ethical principle while anonymity is one way in which
(1997confidentiality is maintained. To ensure this the researcher did not bother interviewee to
provide their names during the interviews.
The interviews were also conducted on one on one basis but firstly people were asked whether
they wanted to participate or not so as not to force those who did not want. When conducting the
study, the researcher introduced herself, the goals of the study, asked participants to take part in
the research and worked with those agreed to be interviewed.

3.6 iChapter iSummary

The chapter ifocused ion ithe imethodology iused iin ithe research. iData iwas gathered iusing
isemi-structured iinterviews, idocuments iand iobservations. iEthical iconsiderations iwere ialso
iconsidered ias ithey iare ivery iimportant iwhen iconducting ia iresearch. iThe inext ichapter
ipresents ithe idata i ifrom ithe iresearch.

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 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSSION OF
FINDINGS

4.1 Introduction
This ichapter ipresents iand ianalyses ithe idata iobtained ifrom ithe iresearch. iThe imain iaim
iof ithe iresearch iwas ito investigate the role of culture plays when learning the second language.
The iresearcher iutilized iinterviews, iobservations iand idocuments ito iobtain iinformation ito
iuse iin ithe iresearch. iDescriptive istudies were iused ito iexhibit ithe idata icollected iin iform
iof itables. iA idiscourse ion ithe iresults iis iset ifor ithe inext ichapter.

4.2 Research Findings

The iresults iin ithis isection iwere icollected ithrough iinterviews, group discussion iand
idocuments. I

4.3 The Association between Culture and Language

Language can be characterized as a way for people to communicate verbally or by signs in their
daily lives, and it is inextricably linked to culture. "Culture and language are linked and create a
single cosmos or sphere of experience," according to Kramsch (Hinkel 2001). Language is a
system of human communication that uses symbols and is also a component of traditional
culture. A society's language is a component of its culture since languages are the means through
which cultures are transmitted. Language and culture interact with one another. Every culture is a
part of every language, and every language is a part of every culture. As a result, language can
only express cultural demands, and separating the two would diminish the importance of both
language and culture. Chinese have a complicated system of kinship terminology to distinguish
between Uncle and Aunt; Eskimos have seven different words for snow to differentiate between
different sorts of snow, while Africans have no word for snow.

The means of cultural transmission are language and language alone. Through language, a
culture can reinforce and retain its norms, values, and occasionally even the external factors that
may influence how it develops in the future. A language's culture will continue to exist if it is
used as a communication tool. It is still possible to study a culture using its language even after it
has disappeared. Culture and language have historically is considered to be, if not the entire

15
identity of, a social group, a country, or a state. Cultural differences should be taken into
consideration by teachers and students while teaching a language because different languages
represent the various value systems and worldviews of their speakers. Understanding the cultural
differences will help one to avoid some error in communication However, similar ideas across
the two cultures shouldn't be disregarded. Language learning could be made simpler by utilizing
the same idea easier and more joyful. Students cannot completely master a new language unless
they have understood the cultural environment in which the new language occurs, said the
National Standards for Foreign Language Education project (1996). This indicates that learning
about a new culture is crucial to succeeding at learning a second language. A child's initial
encounters with his or her family, the group to which he or she belongs, and the environment in
which he or she lives can be related to the acquisition of language and the learning of culture
(Lu, 1998). Because of the constant stimulation provided by their society, environment, and
culture, infants learn their first language in a natural way. Similarly, second language learners
need to consume the nutrients of the new culture in order to learn a new language. The learning
process may be influenced positively or negatively by teachers' perceptions of a student's culture.
(Stevick, 1982).

Cultural awareness and intercultural training are crucial for students of second languages. As
Lado (1957), points out in his book Linguistics across Cultures, a student is likely to struggle if
certain aspects of the second language are significantly different from the student's original
language. When a second language and the learner's culture share commonalities, it might be
assumed that language acquisition will be facilitated. Learning about different cultures aids in
recognizing the diversity of worldviews. Developing instructional techniques and pedagogies for
teaching second languages will be made easier with an understanding of the relationship between
culture and language. According to Kramsch (1993), understanding culture is a necessary ability
when learning a language. It is important to learn culture and language simultaneously to truly
understand language. Understanding the target audience's culture is essential if one wish to
communicate effectively in another language and knowing the right words to use in a specific
time allows the speaker to deliver the points clearly without any misunderstandings.

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4.2.4 Cultural Differences

4.2.4.1 Beliefs
Chinese people believe in facial features. Those who have significant features are believed to
prosper in their life. For example, people with long and large earlobes are considered lucky. And
they are believed to have prosperity life. Just like "Buddha" who has big and large thin earlobes
and a fleshy nose. Many Chinese people pay attention to the person's nose and ear. One of my
Chinese lecturers partially asked us why Zimbabweans have small earlobes and ear. The Chinese
thinks that one's feature determines one’s life. But in Zimbabwe people don't pay attention to any
feature. They believe that only God and destiny will determine the life of the person. Moreso the
Chinese people have some colors they believe are auspicious. For instance, the red color is
regarded as an auspicious color that's why they wear red color as their wedding costume. Even
though these days they are adapting the western culture of wearing white gown and a suit.
Nevertheless, after their white wedding it is mandatory for them to have a traditional wedding
wearing red. In most cases the bride receives red colored eggs from other women. The eggs are
handled by the new mother and given to her friends. It is thought that by doing this, she will be
able to spread her motherhood and good luck to others.

Additionally, the red color is especially believed to ward against bad luck and evil spirits.
Chinese culture holds that if a person is born in the year of the dog, their life will be blessed.
because dogs are obedience, and every dog is viewed as potentially harmful to that individual.
So, they wear red through out the year to protect themselves usually they wear red underwear.
White is also an auspicious color. The color is often associated with funerals. When someone
passes away, the family puts white flowers in the house. The family of the deceased is also given
white flowers as a token of sympathy. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid giving white flowers to
Chinese friends, especially not to someone who is ill. When someone has died or is about to die,
white flowers are traditionally given. Wearing white in one's hair is also considered a tamboo
since it denotes that a parent or set of grandparents has recently gone away. White hair piece is
considered unfortunate and is said to hasten a family member's early death.

17
In additional black is a solemn hue in Chinese culture; it denotes formality and serves as a burial
color, just like in Western and African cultures. Attending funerals in black is customary for
friends and distant relatives. The immediate family is only allowed to wear white. The deceased's
children frequently wear black fabric armbands as a sign of sadness after the funeral. The
grandchildren additionally wear a tiny red square that is stapled to their otherwise all-black
armbands. The red armband denotes that the deceased had lived long enough to have
grandchildren; as a result, the color is a sign of good fortune and longevity. Whereas in Africa
after the funeral if the deceased was the husband the wife is supposed to wear a black dress
which is called a "sorry" to signifies that she is now a widow and also she is not allowed to cut
her hair until the time of "kurova guva".

4.2.4.2 Shopping and Gift -giving

In China, bargaining in markets is like a ritual where customers are supposed to do. Even the
vendors expect it from them. It may sound so strange to the foreigners. Chinese do bargain for
certain items mostly the vegetable stuff and some accessories. It is important to know that " Not
everything should be bargained for" thus the Chinese spends lot of time in their shopping
because of this bargaining issue. Part of the problem occurs from its competitive nature to win
the bargaining battle. In Zimbabwe, most women haggle for some goods, although most
Zimbabweans are afraid to haggle since they don't want to admit they lack money, even if they
do.
Culturally in China it is acceptable to ask the amount one pays for things. For example a stranger
may ask how much you paid for the vegetables. And to foreigners they found this habit very
annoying and frustrating. Firstly, because they are not used to people asking for the amount, they
paid they view it like it's their personal life a matter of privacy. Additionally, they don't want to
know that they have been cheated by the vendors. In China people tend to ask such questions
because they care for you, they don't want you to be taken advantage of by the vendors.

Gift- giving is common in Chinese culture. Nearly every festival celebration, family gatherings
and business meetings events involve some exchange of gifts and gifts are supposed to be
opened in private. Unlike the Zimbabweans culture people open their gifts in front of the gift

18
giver to show gratitude. But in China they prefer not to open their gifts in the presence of the of
the giver because they don't want to appear overly excited to receive gifts. If someone opened the
gift right after receiving it, they are perceived as greedy. It is interesting that the giver must wait
for the text to know if the person likes the gift or not rather than opening it right away so that the
giver can see the expression and tell if they like the gift right away.

4.2.4.3 Raising Children in China

Culturally in China it is a taboo to have baby shower before birth and to give the expectant
mothers baby gifts. They believe that a gift may jinx the birth of the child and they are not sure if
the baby is going to live or die. Even after birth for the first month only the immediate family can
see the child. Friends and extended family will see the child when the baby reaches 100days.
Because at this point, they are able to know that the child is going to live. At this point the
grandparents will host a function to celebrate the newborn's 100th days. This occasion is for
formal viewing of the baby and people came to see the child with gifts this occasion can be seen
as a baby shower. There is difference in type of the gifts in Chinese culture and the Shona
culture. In China people usually gives lucky charms, locks, peanuts (still in the shell) and
Chinese zodiac with red and gold thread it is believed that both red and pure gold ward off evil.
Gold is also a symbol of wealth and prosperity. All the gifts symbolize something. For example,
peanuts are for long life and prosperity and locks symbolizes safety. Whereas in Shona culture
usually people don't celebrate baby showers and people are allowed to visit the child just after
birth. And it is not mandatory to bring gifts for the child usually the gift include baby stuff,
money and any domestic animals.
In China they host a ceremony for baby naming. According to Chinese tradition, a good name
should complement a person's fortune When the child is born his birth year, month, day and hour
will combined to give him eight characters. If the name consists of all five elements which are
gold, water, wood, fire and earth. The child is considered to live harmonious life. However
sometimes the person's eight characters will be unbalanced. The Chinese don't give their
children's name rather they look for a fortune teller expect to name the child. In Western culture
usually people look online at long list of names considering the sound of the names, their
meanings, and their spellings. Hence the Chinese do the opposite although the names have to
sound nice.

19
In China they don’t allow babies to cry and this cause problem in disciplining them because from
elders to strangers they seem so obsessed with not letting a child cry. This allows the children to
use crying as their weapon to get what they want. The nannies and the grandparents usually give
in to the children's demands because they don't want to hear them cry.

20
4.3 Conclusion
This chapter examined data analysis and interpretation using the review literature as a guide.
This study sought to demonstrate the effect of culture in second language acquisition and the
investigation's results were distilled.

21
 CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Introduction
The entire research study's conclusion is contained in this chapter. It presents the conclusions and
findings. Additionally, there are restrictions and suggestions for additional research.

5.2 Summary of Findings

The study sought to understand how culture affects students' ability to acquire Chinese as a
second language. The results of the study demonstrate how crucial culture is to learn a new
language. Those who wish to travel to China it's the best for them to learn few things about their
culture and tradition. This will help them to bridge the cultural gap, better understanding the
Chinese counterparts. The results obtained from the interviews and observations shows that the
students learning Chinese need to focus more on the Chinese culture because one cannot separate
language from culture.

5.3 Limitations
This chapter will focus on the issues that arose during the data collection procedure. Below are
the issues listed.

5.3.1 Interviews
The major limitation as far as interviews are concerned is the reluctant of the participants. Some
students were reluctant to answer the questions which were proposed to them. It was hard for
them to bring the connection between culture and language. And because of the unavailability of
the Chinese students at the campus the researcher ends up interviewing students who are doing
German. This cause the researcher to obtain results which she was not looking forward to.
However, it was a good experience though because both students were facing same problems in
their learning of new language. Culture is important in both languages whichever language the
learner is learning cultural background is essential. The researcher was able to do face to face
interviews with other students but also resort to have online interviews with those who were not
available at the moment.

22
5.3.2 Focus Group Discussion
The researcher was able to conclude that understanding Chinese culture is crucial to learning to
the learning of a foreign language. Due to the lack of knowledge of the targeted language's
cultural context, most students frequently misuse words. For pupils to be able to communicate
successfully, the researcher has found that they require time to immerse themselves in the
targeted culture. The researcher has also noted that the University of Zimbabwe's Chinese
courses have time limits. Students can't learn the material in four hours

5.4 Contribution of the study

By presenting literature on the teaching and learning of foreign languages, the research study
adds to the body of knowledge. The study concentrated on the effect of culture in second- or
foreign-language learning. The language used in a society is influenced by culture and language
influence the culture which is held within the society.

5.5 Recommendations
Since culture and language are connected, the researcher advises that thorough study of cultures
is equally vital when learning a second language or foreign language. As a result, it is crucial to
learn the culture of the desired language and have competency in speaking the second language.

23
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