Abstract:The speech act of apology is one kind of behavior which is intended to save face for the offendee. In the new century, with more and more cooperation and exchange between America and China, there will always be lots of misunderstanding and even conflicts during the cultural communication because of different social backgrounds, cultures and values. Apologies could be a mirror that reflects the differences between American and Chinese cultural values. Therefore, in order to obtain better communicative purposes and cultivate communicative competence in intercultural communication, it is necessary to make a cross-cultural study of apology in America and China. This paper makes a comparative analysis from the aspects of apology types, the similarities and differences of the apology between America and China, and discusses the cultural factors causing the differences from the cross-cultural perspective. 

Key words: apology；cultural difference；cross-cultural communication

CONTENTS

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction.1

2. Literature Review of Apologies2 

  2.1 Definition of Apology

  2.2 Types of Apologies3

  2.2.1 Linguistic and non linguistic apology 

  2.2.2 Verbal apology and written apology

  2.2.3 Formal and informal apology

3. Similarities and Differences between Chinese and American apologies4

3.1 Similarities between Chinese and American apologies

  3.1.1 Attitudes to Apology 

  3.1.2 Steps of Apology

3.2 Differences between Chinese and American apologies

  3.2.1 Frequency of Apology

  3.2.2 Occasions of Apology

  3.3.3 Objects of Apology

4. Factors Causing the different Chinese and American apologies

  4.1 Social Relationships

  4.2 Cultures

4.2.1 High Context Culture and Low Context Culture

4.2.2 Collectivism and Individualism Culture

5. Conclusion.9

Bibliography10

Acknowledgments.11