Is Chinese Thought Pattern Linear, Circular or Both?

Autor/in	Tzung-yu, Cheng
Titel	Is Chinese Thought Pattern Linear, Circular or Both?
Quelle	(1993), (20 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; Chinese; Cognitive Processes; Cohesion (Written Composition); Comparative Analysis; Contrastive Linguistics; Cultural Traits; Elementary School Students; English; Essays; Foreign Countries; Intermediate Grades; Junior High School Students; Junior High Schools; Middle School Students; Middle Schools; Paragraphs; Taiwan + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? China; Chinesen; Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess; Linguistics; Kontrastive Linguistik; English language; Englisch; Essay; Aufsatzunterricht; Ausland; Mittelstufe; Junior High Schools; Student; Students; Sekundarstufe I; Schüler; Schülerin; Middle school; Middle schools; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule
Abstract	A study investigated patterns of paragraph structure and organization in 19 short essays in Chinese by Taiwan middle school students. The organization of the writing samples were analyzed and the paragraphs classified according to five types of internal structure: deductive, with the main idea presented at the beginning; inductive, with the main idea following supporting details; topic sentences presented in the middle; inferential; and topic sentence at the beginning and also restated at the paragraph's end. Introduction, body, and concluding paragraphs were categorized by structure, and the most representative paragraphs were translated into English without changing the location of the topic sentence. Results indicate that the students' thought patterns were not completely circular in developing a paragraph, but follow a thought pattern similar to that in English texts. Circular or digressive patterns are most commonly found in the introductory and concluding paragraphs. This implies an effect of Chinese instructional and cultural patterns. Areas for further research are identified, and implications for English writing instruction are noted. (MSE)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC