Differences Between Chinese and English Thinking M

1DifferencesBetweenChineseandEnglishThinkingModesI.IntroductionLanguagebynatureistheembodimentofhumanthoughtsandthoughtsinturnisthementalreflectionoftheworldaroundusonbasisofsomeanalysis,generalization,judgmentandreasoning.Animalshavethoughtsaswell,buttheirawkwardsoundsforcommunicationarefarfrombeinglanguage.Languageisthereforecloselyrelatedtoandsupportedbyhumanthoughts.Thatistosay,languagehasnobasisforitsexistenceifthereisnothought.Butthoughts,thoughaccessiblebyvariousmeans,arebestrepresentedinlanguageandcanthusbestfulfillitsobligationstothespeakersbysuchmeans.Languageasanarbitrary,phoneticandmorphologicsemioticandaudiosystemofcommunication,haslongdefinedashumanandisthusthemostconvincingdistinctivefeaturesofhumanbeingsfromanimals.Thethinkingpatternsareoneofthemostimportantcuesinculture.Itiscloselyrelatedtoculturesandembodiesthecharacteristicsofculturalpsychology.Besides,themodesofthinkingalsoarecloselyrelatedtolanguage.Differentmodesofthinkingareembodiedinlanguage.(i)Therelationshipamonglanguage,cultureandthoughtLanguageispartofculture.SuchasChineselanguageispartofChineseculture.Eachcountryhasitsownlanguageinaspecificculture.However,theirrelationshipisnotjustbetweenpartandwhole.Languageisthecarrierandcontainedofculture,asmanyaspectsofculturecanbeexpressedinlanguage.Asamirrorofculture,languageisstronglyinfluencedandshapedbyculture.Inall,languageandculturearecloselyrelated;eachinfluencesandshapestheother.Languageisaninstrumentusedinthecommunicationofthought.Itiscloselyrelatedtothought,too.Itrepresentsthoughtandisinfluencedbythought.Inturn,thoughtisinfluencedbylanguage.Inaddition,thoughtisdeterminedbyculturalvalue.Theirrelationshipswitheachotherseemmorecomplex.Inaword,eachoftheminfluencedandshapesothers.Theyareseemasthreepartsofawhole.(ii)DifferentwaysofthinkingbetweenChineseandWestern“Thewaysofthinkingisquitedifferent,actually,peopleliveincertainareahavetheirownwayofthinking.Itconnectstovariouskindsoffactors,suchasgeography,history,nationandsoon.Thewaysofthinkingaretheimportantreasonofculturaldifference.Itincludesknowledge,concepts,methods,languageandcustomandsoon.”(邓炎昌483)Therefactorsinfluenceeachother,whichledtodifferentwaysofthinking.Therefore,thewaysofthinkinghavetheirowncharacteristics,likegeographycharacteristics,socialcharacteristicsandnationalcharacteristics,etc.accordingtogeographycharacteristics,itcanbedividedintoHannation,EnglishandAmericannation,etc.HerewewillmakeacomparisononChineseandWesternwaysofthinking.“Thedifferentwaysofthinkinginfactarethereflectionofculturaldifference.Peoplewholiveindifferentareasforalongtimehavedifferentculturalcharacteristics;therefore,theirwaysofthinkingaredifferent,”(ibid.484).Undertheinfluenceofdifferentgeographyenvironments,lifestyles,customsanddifferentculturalvalues;theEastandWestaredifferentfromwaysofthinking.Letusexaminesomephenomena:Inthecollege,aforeignteacheristeachinginaclass,heistalkativeandexpressive.Everyonelistenstohiminterestingly.Suddenly,hestopsandasksthemaquestion.However,thestudentsdon’tknowhowtoanswer,theydon’ttelltheanswers.Theteachergotalittleangrybuthehadnoideaontheirbehavior.ThissceneoftenhappensinChineseclassroom.Intheforeigners’eyes,theyconsiderthatkeepingsilentisnotagoodwaywhenwecontactwithothers.Evenyoudon’tunderstand,youshouldsaysomethinginsteadofkeepingsilent,asitoftenisregardedasrudeandimpolite.ThereasonliesinthattheEastandtheWesthaveadifferentwayofthinking.TheEasternpeopleareconservative,introvertandinactive,theyputmoreemphasisonharmony,andtheylikecommonandstablelife;2whiletheWesternpeoplearemoreopen-minded,extrovertandactive,theylikechangeablelifeandthustheyemphasizeoncompetition.Inthisway,theirdifferentwaysofthinkingleadtotheirdifferentunderstandingoneachother’sbehavior.IfChineseseesomebodyistalkative,theycouldthinkheorshewantstoextenthimselforherselftobethefocusofeveryone.InChina,weseldomseeacouplemakingclosecontactinpublic.Theyarealwayswalkingsidebysideinacertaindistance.WhileintheWest,thecouplewillopentothepublic;theyarefreetoshowthattheyareacouple.Eventheymeettheacquaintances;theyalwaysgivethemahugorkissasgreeting.Controversially,Chinesewillshakehandswiththeirfriendsbutseldomhugthem.Theydon’tkissthemastheyregarditasanintimateactionbetweenhusbandandwife.ThereasonwhytheeastandthewestpeoplebehavesodifferentlyisthatpeopleliveintheEastemphasizeonethicprincipal,morality,theyfocusondirectfeelingandimage.Thewesternersfocusonfreedom,democracyandemphasizeonindividual.Inall,Chinesetraditionalwayofthinkinghasitsowncharacteristics.Itemphasizesthemorality,harmonyofthesociety;itpromotesthecollectivism,responsibilityanddevotionandsoon.Thewesternwayofthinkingalsohasitsowncharacteristics.Itemphasizesonlogicandscience,individualachievement,itpromoteshumanright,equalityandsoon.ThegreatgeographicdistancebetweentheBritishandtheChinesepeoples,togetherwiththeaccompanyingdifferentlivingconditionsandculturalenvironments,hasmuchaccountedforthediverseconceptualpatternsofthetwonations.Suchconceptualdifferenceshavebeendulyreflectedinandshedgreatinfluenceonthet