Cultural Stereotype in Foreign Language Learning ---A Study Based on English Learners in Abstract Learning about foreign language cultures is becoming an important objective in the foreign language curricula and national standard of different countries throughout the world. Cultural stereotype is considered to be a significant factor in the foreign language learning and intercultural communication. A lot of considerable investigations have been made to study cultural stereotype. But, what exactly is cultural stereotype? What are the different contents of cultural stereotype and what factors that contribute to this pision? In this research paper, a brief introduction of the definition and different contents of cultural stereotype will be given. 48168

The purposes of the research are to present various aspects of the phenomenon of stereotyping in the context of foreign language learning and intercultural communication; to identify and evaluate the sources of these cultural stereotypes; and to survey the relationship between stereotype and foreign language learning. This paper is an attempt to present stereotypes’ influence in foreign language learning and put some advises for foreign language teachers to aware the stereotypes and deal with it accurately.

The author designs a qualitative and quantitative study which adopts a questionnaire and interview as the major instrument. In the study, 50 Chinese English majors from grade2 and 3 of  Normal University were selected as the questionnaire’s subjects, and 10 students among of them were chosen as the participants of the face-to-face interview. Results indicated that subjects’ stereotypic impressions of the Americans are positive in general and the Internet is the most popular source for respondents to obtain information concerning Americans, which in turn influence and shape their perceptions of them. What’s more, it provided that the foreign language learning plays an important role in acquisition of learners’ stereotypes and the process of language learning can change some stubborn stereotypes without knowing it.

Keywords: Cultural Stereotype; Foreign Language Learning; Intercultural Communication

浅析外语学习过程中的文化定势---以大学英语专业本科生为例

摘  要本论文以大学英语专业本科生为例，试探究外语学习过程中的文化定式。本文的主要研究对象是外语习得和跨文化交际过程中的文化思维定势。以英语专业学生对美国人及美国文化是否有思维定势，并简要分析了这些文化定势的来源并简要阐述了外语习得和文化定势的关系。并给之后的外语教学提供了一定的借鉴意义。

本论文对50名来自不同年级的英语专业大学生进行了定性和定量的研究，并采用了问卷调查和访谈作为主要的调查工具。数据结果显示大学英语专业大学生对美国人的文化定势大致是积极的，且互联网和教育是他们信息的主要来源方式。且研究显示，思维定势会对外语学习产生一定的影响，且外语学习可以在一定程度上改变学生的对目标语国家的文化定势。

毕业论文关键词：文化定势；外语学习；跨文化交际

Contents

1. Introduction 4

2. Theoretical Basis 5

2.1 The Definition of Stereotype 5

2.2 Classification of stereotype 6

2.2.1 Social and Cultural Stereotype 6

2.2.2 Positive and Negative Stereotype 6

2.2.3 Auto-stereotype and Hetero-stereotype 6

2.3 Characteristics of Stereotype 7

2.4 The Formation of Stereotype