Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Background

Nowadays, the globalization of economic activities and the information of social life make foreign language, especially English, become an important tool in China’s opening and international communication. Establishing English class in primary school is the requirement of times. It is the need of promoting of quality education in the round. However, learning English is not easy. Before learning a new language, learners should firstly understand the internal thinking process of the language. Only by understanding, learning and using the different ways of thinking between Chinese and English, can learners study English well.

Mr. Fu Lei said “There are fundamental differences of the ways of thinking between the east and the west. Chinese people pay attention to synthesis, induction, suggestion and implication during expression, but westerners pay more attention to analyzing the details. It’s difficult to integrate for the ‘mentalities’ (here mentalities refer to the ways of thinking.” Lian Shuneng said: “There is a profound influence of the theory of ‘vitality’ and ‘atom’ on the way of thinking in Chinese. Chinese people pay attention to the mutual relationships and the overall grasping of things, and westerners focus on the studies of analysis and inpidualism. "

1.2 Significance and purpose

1.2.1 Significance

Languages, as a reflection of thinking, ,源)自(优尔+文=论]文]网[www.youerw.comnot only reflect the thinking patterns of different nationalities, but also affect and determine the worldviews of different nations. As is known to all, English and Chinese belong to two different language families. The nations using two languages have very different forms in expressions or thinking. “The way of thinking is mainly consisted by eight parts. Such as the knowledge, ideas, methods, emotions, will, languages and habits. (Chen Xinxia, etc. 1988)” Different ways of thinking also can create different language expressions. Therefore, it is important to analyze the differences of the ways of thinking between Chinese and English in primary school’s English learning.