Visit Canada with Da Shan

Author: Sun Jianhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-02-01
Features: "DashanandFriendsinCanada" is a large-scale multimedia English teaching series produced jointly by China Central Television (CCTV) and Canadian VickersBenson Company to promote foreign language teaching and cultural exchange in China. Relevant departments from both China and Canada provided strong support during the production process of this program. With the continuous deepening of China's reform and the constant expansion of its opening-up policy, China's foreign exchanges have now reached every corner of the world. Canada is not only the second-largest country in the world in terms of land area but is also one of the world's major economic powers, holding a significant position on the global economic stage. In recent years, exchanges between China and Canada have been increasing, and friendly interactions between the two peoples have also become more frequent. At the same time, Canada is one of the world's important English-speaking countries (alongside the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). If you wish to engage in various forms of communication and cooperation with this country, learning English is an indispensable condition. While learning a language, it is also crucial to understand its cultural background, as only by having some knowledge of the cultural context can you communicate more effectively. Based on this understanding, "DashanandFriendsinCanada" integrates language learning with cultural background introductions. It pays attention to understanding the cultural context during language learning while also aiming to enhance and reinforce language skills through cultural study. Learners will notice that due to historical, geographical, and cultural influences, Canadian English differs from American English in certain word pronunciations, spellings, and some idiomatic expressions, but overall, it is close to American English. "DashanandFriendsinCanada" is an English language teaching program filmed around the activities of "Dashan" (whose English name is Mark Rowswell) and his two Chinese friends in Canada. "Dashan" is already a household name in China. In the program, he not only plays the leading role but also serves as the host. His authentic Chinese accent has impressed us Chinese people. Now, he applies his successful experience in learning Chinese to teaching Chinese people English, striving to inspire English learners and help them find a shortcut in their studies. "DashanandFriendsinCanada" consists of thirteen episodes. Each episode of the television program is divided into two parts: two "Dialogues" and one "Vignette." The dialogue sections are vivid and lively, with rich content covering various aspects of daily activities such as dining, seeing a doctor, shopping, dating, and traveling. The vignettes are informative introductions, all recorded in real life, covering many aspects of Canadian social life. Based on this, the written textbook includes "Background Reading," which can be considered the "Overview" in traditional textbooks. Together, these three parts make the entire program innovative in form, rich in content, and packed with information, making it a rare and valuable English teaching course. The writing of the textbook combines traditional teaching methods with communicative teaching methods, focusing on listening and speaking training while also providing explanations and exercises on grammar, language points, and structures. This allows learners not only to improve their listening and speaking skills but also to pay attention to grammar learning, thereby consolidating language knowledge and mastering language patterns. The authors of the textbook are mostly experts with years of experience in television English teaching, and their rich experience undoubtedly enhances the reliability and scientific rigor of the entire television program, ensuring that learners gain meaningful knowledge.