Chinese culture vs. Western culture
Rationalism vs. intuition or the power of understanding,
常无欲,以观其妙
---------老子
宇宙便是吾心,吾心即是宇宙
_____陆九渊
“以心传心”,“智慧关照,不假文字”
---------《坛经》,
Influence of cultures on the language
Words
Sentence structures
Paragraph structures
Chinese vs. English (words)
Usage of words to avoid in English writing
They lived in the deep water and hot fire.
Time flies like an arrow. 光阴似箭
Under the sky, all crows are black. 天下乌鸦一般黑
I am a Chinese student who has a strong desire for every kind of information about your prestigious and famous university from which so many outstanding scholars have graduated in every kind of field. As time passed, the desire of studying English grew in my heart like a tree, bigger and bigger, so beautiful that I decided to be with her all my life.
西洋语法是硬的，没有弹性；中国语法是软的，富有弹性。
就句子的结构而论，西洋语言是法治的，中国语言是人治的
---------------王力
晴雯先接出来，笑道：“好啊，叫我研了墨，早起高兴，只写了三个字，扔下笔就走了，哄我等了这一天，快来给我写完了这些墨才算呢！”
Qing-wen greeted him with a smile, exclaiming ,”A fine one you are ! On the spur of the moment you bade me grind ink for you this morning. But you threw down you brush and went away after having written merely three characters. You’ve kept me waiting for you the whole day. You are to use up this ink now. Be quick!”
Chinese vs. English (sentences)
英语重形合，即主要靠语言本身的语法手段来造句，句子主干突出。汉语重意合，构句主要靠句子内部的逻辑关系。
树状结构与竹竿结构complex vs. simplex
I’m very glad to have received your letter after so many years of isolation.
经过许多年来和外界的隔阂，现在收到了你的来信，我感到非常高兴。
There was little hope of continuing my inquiry after dark to any useful purpose in a neighborhood that was strange to me
这一带我不熟悉，天黑以后继续进行调查，取得结果的希望不大。
Practice
◆天空万里无云
◆我因病没参加这次英语考试。
◆我记不起他的名字。
◆我们必须努力学习，将来为社会主义建设作贡献。
Key to Practice
◆
◆It’s cloudless.
◆There is no cloud in the sky.
◆My illness prevented me from the English exam.
◆His name escaped me.
◆To contribute to our socialist construction, it’s better for us to work hard now.
突显顺序与自然顺序 Salient order natural order
Paragraph Structures
Chinese vs. English
Practice
Compare and discuss:
Read the following two letters. Comment on the influence of western and Chinese ways of thinking on the writers.
Letter 1 (a Chinese writer)
Respected Radio Australia producers,
I have been a loyal listener to Radio Australia’s English teaching programs and to “Songs You Like” for several years. I consider both programs to be extremely well produced.
Let me describe myself a little: I am a middle school student, I am eighteen and my home is in x x x , a small border city. Because I like studying English, I therefore follow those programs closely. I get all my practice in listening comprehension and dialogue from Radio Australia’s English programs. This practice has been of great benefit.
Letter 2 (a foreign writer)
Dear Radio Australia,
I would be very grateful if you would be kind enough to send me teaching materials for your excellent English language teaching programs. I am learning English from your programs but am finding it difficult without the materials.
I would also be very grateful if you would be kind enough to send me a Radio Australia calendar.
Yours sincerely，
xxx
Chinese vs. English ( paragraphs)
2008年岁末，“中国造富大学排行榜”吸引了众人的眼球：北京大学因培养了35名亿万富豪而问鼎榜首，浙江大学以23名位居第二，清华大学以22名排列第三。于是有人说：这是大学对社会的一大贡献，如今的名牌大学，都成了“亿万富豪的摇篮”！英国有谚云：“牛津大学拔了刀，全国跟着跑”。同理，如果出现“北京大学造了富，全国跟着跑”的局面。那么争当富豪就会成为年轻学子的理想，制造富豪也会成为大学的目标。这是对教育功能的扭曲！这一判断，来自蔡元培的教育理念。
Over the past 10 years, consumers have been presented with many new avenues buying products and services. For instance, customers all over the US can find competitive, large chains of stores in industries from office supplies to health food to books. These chains have been able to offer self-service and lower prices than smaller stores selling the same products. In addition, thanks to the internet and mobile wireless devices, customers are now armed with new tools with which they can find and contact a business as well as its competitors around the clock and around the globe.
Chinese paragraph patterns
English paragraph patterns
1) 概括—具体型（General-Specific Pattern）。
2) 问题解决型（Problem-Solution Patter）
3) 对照—匹配型（Matching-Pattern）。
Studies of Chinese students’ English writing show that…
中国学生的思维模式具有隐伏性的特点。66.11%的作文属于隐伏性，即“阐述时不从主题入手，直接说明，而是用各方面的情况和问题给予暗示或明示”。
Andy Kirkpatrick研究了中国学生写的40封英文信，认为中国学生的英文书信写法太拐弯抹角，离题太多
Studies of Chinese students’ English writing show that…
54.4%的作文使用了汉语式“灵活型”语篇模式；绝大多数作文不善于运用段落主题句，与英语段落的直线型发展模式有显著差异。
大学生，尤其是低年级的学生英语作文，明显缺乏 “直线型”语篇思维模式。
作文中的衔接词使用单一，句子松散，重点不突出。
简单句的数量最多，占总句数的52%，其次是复合句，占30.5%，而并列句和并列复合句的数量较少。
Three Elements which are essential to a paragraph
A well-defined topic sentence
(the controlling idea is not too general or too specific)
Relevant supports
Logical development
(connectives, order of information)
Practice
Rearrange the order of the sentences.
Write a topic sentence for the paragraph.
Use appropriate connectives between sentences.
Write a concluding sentence.
1)Despite the considerable increase in average life expectancy over the last one hundred years, the maximum human lifespan of about 120 years has not increased.
(2) Genetic engineering may be one way of slowing down the process of growing old.
(3) Delaying the process of growing old may make it possible to extend this limit.
(4)The lifespan of flies has already been doubled in experiments using genetic engineering.
(5)Taking additional vitamin E may help to delay the process.
(6)Certain chemicals which can attack the body's cells are neutralised by vitamin E.
1)Despite the considerable increase in average life expectancy over the last one hundred years, the maximum human lifespan of about 120 years has not increased.
(2) However, it may be possible to extend this limit by delaying the process of growing old.
(3) One way of slowing down the process may be by genetic engineering.
(4) This has already been used in experiments to double the lifespan of flies.
(5) The process may also be delayed by taking additional vitamin E. (The other way of …)
(6) This neutralizes certain chemicals which can attack the body's cells.
(7) To sum up, these two means may make it possible to extend the maximum human lifespan.
Practice
Quick-Write (5 min)
Topic: factors affecting health
Write a topic sentence
Find the relevant supports for the topic sentence
Use transitional devices
