ArticleInterdisciplinary Studies of Translation http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2025.08.019
Classification· Transformation· Integration: A Three-pronged Practical Approach to Integrating Chinese Traditional Culture into Secondary School English Teaching
Xia Hou1, Huiqin Pang2,*
1College of Foreign Languages, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou 466001, Henan, China.
2College of Foreign Languages, Qingdao City University, Qingdao 266100, Shandong, China.
*Corresponding author: Huiqin Pang
Published: August 20,2025
Abstract
Drawing on the cutting-edge theory of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), this paper proposes a classification–transformation model for embedding Chinese traditional culture in English instruction. Cultural content is first divided into material culture (festivals, cuisine, clothing) and spiritual culture (philosophical concepts, moral principles, humanities and arts). To tackle translation challenges, techniques such as literal-plus-visual translation, conceptual substitution, and context creation are employed to render Chinese traditional culture into English. By inserting culture modules into textbooks and extending the learning path through micro-tasks, the study offers a workable paradigm for remedying the superficial treatment of culture in secondary-school English classrooms. The empirical enactments across junior and senior cohorts reveal measurable gains: junior learners exhibit enhanced lexical precision and procedural fluency when narrating 24-solar-term observations or festival cook-along videos; seniors demonstrate elevated intercultural awareness and critical stance in debates comparing Confucian Zhongyong with Western notions of excellence. Theoretically, the study extends CLIL scholarship by foregrounding cultural reflexivity as a cognitive catalyst; methodologically, it contributes a replicable protocol for syllabus retrofitting that respects institutional pacing yet expands the semiotic bandwidth of the English classroom. Limitations and future trajectories are also acknowledged.
Keywords
Chinese traditional culture; Secondary-school English; Translation; Pedagogy
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How to cite this paper
Classification· Transformation· Integration: A Three-pronged Practical Approach to Integrating Chinese Traditional Culture into Secondary School English Teaching
How to cite this paper: Xia Hou, Huiqin Pang. (2025). Classification· Transformation· Integration: A Three-pronged Practical Approach to Integrating Chinese Traditional Culture into Secondary School English Teaching. Translation and Foreign Language Learning, 1(1), 121-125.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2025.08.019