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【Abstract】Psychology plays an important role in English learning. This paper is to analyze the negative effects of China’s traditional modes of thinking on students’ psychology in English learning from two aspects——blind reverence for Confucianism and face problem, and hopes to help students eradicate the psychological disadvantages and establish a healthy psychology for English study.
【Key words】China’s traditional modes of thinking;psychology;English learning
【中图分类号】G623.31 【文献标识码】A 【文章编号】1001-4128(2010)08-0007-02
China’s traditional modes of thinking have deeply rooted in every generation’s minds and have affected people’s words and deeds for several thousand years. To a great degree, it should be admitted that does help to create, continue and safeguard Chinese cultivation and traditional merits. However, every coin has two sides. It also has some negative effects on learning English.
1 Blind Reverence for Confucianism
All through the ages, Chinese people have always revered Confucianism, which advocates the merits of temperateness, kindness, courtesy, restraint and magnanimousness and tells people to remain modest, prudent and free from being in the limelight. Even in today’s world, although science and people’s ideology are advancing constantly, some people still act on the doctrine of the Golden Mean——the core idea of the Confucian school, which advocates that people should try to keep everything and everybody at the identical level and avoid being too conspicuous.
Chinese students, for the most part, have been growing up in such environment and been imperceptibly influenced by these traditional modes of thinking. Consequently, they may have formed unfavorable psychological habits in English learning——not feeling like speaking English to express their ideas in public, only in order to avoid being considered by others that they are showing off.
Take the behaviors of students in class as an example, part of them rid themselves of the traditional modes of thinking at first. They grasp every opportunity to practice English and to convey their ideas freely. But in private, perhaps, some other students may say that they are enjoying being the center of attention. Gradually, those active students perceive that. Then whenever they would like to answer questions in the class, they may have a lingering fear and weigh the pros and cons. Still, there is part of such students: They have their own ideas and also have the capability of expressing in English quite clearly, but they would rather keep silent and leave their ideas got rotten in their minds than speak them out, for they believe that the nail that sticks out get hammered. Such stagnant English class may give rise to a vicious cycle, dampen every student and even teachers’ enthusiasm. In the end, it perhaps will do great harm to English study.
2 Face Problem
From ancient times up to now, face is of great significance to the Chinese and saving face is a distinct feature of the whole nation. In ancient times, people study long years and take stereotyped writing examinations again and again in order to bring honor to their family and ancestors. Nowadays, parents often compare their child with others’ for study. If their child does better, they will feel proud and happy; on the contrary, if their child gets a poor result, their parents will feel so embarrassed and shameful. This may have imposed deep influences on students’ psychology in English learning.
For example, students of the same class have different levels of proficiency in oral English. Those students who are poor at oral English maybe scarcely speak so as to refrain from being a laughing stock, to save face and to defend their so-called dignity. Sometimes, even if they are forced to speak, they may be so reluctant and grudging that they will speak in nervousness and low voice. If things go on like this, students’ interest and confidence in English study will disappear little by little. In brief, the negative effects of these traditional modes of thinking are major factors leading to students’ psychological disadvantages in English learning. Thus, it is necessary for our teachers to help students to break away from them, and establish confidence and the feeling of enjoying showing off.
References
[1] Yang Yutang, Educational Psychology In The Middle School, Ed. Liaoning Education Press, 1990
[2] She Jianrong, “A Brief Study On The First-year College English Teaching” Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, Liaoning People Education Press, 1996
[3] Wang Lifei, A Survey Of Modern Second Language Learning & Teaching, Shanghai Education Press, 2000
[4] Yang Lianrui, English Pedagogy, Ed. Shandong University Press, 1995
[5] Chen Zufu, “Embrace Challenges Of The Age, Renew Ideology Of Education” Teaching And Teaching Materials Research, 1997
【Key words】China’s traditional modes of thinking;psychology;English learning
【中图分类号】G623.31 【文献标识码】A 【文章编号】1001-4128(2010)08-0007-02
China’s traditional modes of thinking have deeply rooted in every generation’s minds and have affected people’s words and deeds for several thousand years. To a great degree, it should be admitted that does help to create, continue and safeguard Chinese cultivation and traditional merits. However, every coin has two sides. It also has some negative effects on learning English.
1 Blind Reverence for Confucianism
All through the ages, Chinese people have always revered Confucianism, which advocates the merits of temperateness, kindness, courtesy, restraint and magnanimousness and tells people to remain modest, prudent and free from being in the limelight. Even in today’s world, although science and people’s ideology are advancing constantly, some people still act on the doctrine of the Golden Mean——the core idea of the Confucian school, which advocates that people should try to keep everything and everybody at the identical level and avoid being too conspicuous.
Chinese students, for the most part, have been growing up in such environment and been imperceptibly influenced by these traditional modes of thinking. Consequently, they may have formed unfavorable psychological habits in English learning——not feeling like speaking English to express their ideas in public, only in order to avoid being considered by others that they are showing off.
Take the behaviors of students in class as an example, part of them rid themselves of the traditional modes of thinking at first. They grasp every opportunity to practice English and to convey their ideas freely. But in private, perhaps, some other students may say that they are enjoying being the center of attention. Gradually, those active students perceive that. Then whenever they would like to answer questions in the class, they may have a lingering fear and weigh the pros and cons. Still, there is part of such students: They have their own ideas and also have the capability of expressing in English quite clearly, but they would rather keep silent and leave their ideas got rotten in their minds than speak them out, for they believe that the nail that sticks out get hammered. Such stagnant English class may give rise to a vicious cycle, dampen every student and even teachers’ enthusiasm. In the end, it perhaps will do great harm to English study.
2 Face Problem
From ancient times up to now, face is of great significance to the Chinese and saving face is a distinct feature of the whole nation. In ancient times, people study long years and take stereotyped writing examinations again and again in order to bring honor to their family and ancestors. Nowadays, parents often compare their child with others’ for study. If their child does better, they will feel proud and happy; on the contrary, if their child gets a poor result, their parents will feel so embarrassed and shameful. This may have imposed deep influences on students’ psychology in English learning.
For example, students of the same class have different levels of proficiency in oral English. Those students who are poor at oral English maybe scarcely speak so as to refrain from being a laughing stock, to save face and to defend their so-called dignity. Sometimes, even if they are forced to speak, they may be so reluctant and grudging that they will speak in nervousness and low voice. If things go on like this, students’ interest and confidence in English study will disappear little by little. In brief, the negative effects of these traditional modes of thinking are major factors leading to students’ psychological disadvantages in English learning. Thus, it is necessary for our teachers to help students to break away from them, and establish confidence and the feeling of enjoying showing off.
References
[1] Yang Yutang, Educational Psychology In The Middle School, Ed. Liaoning Education Press, 1990
[2] She Jianrong, “A Brief Study On The First-year College English Teaching” Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, Liaoning People Education Press, 1996
[3] Wang Lifei, A Survey Of Modern Second Language Learning & Teaching, Shanghai Education Press, 2000
[4] Yang Lianrui, English Pedagogy, Ed. Shandong University Press, 1995
[5] Chen Zufu, “Embrace Challenges Of The Age, Renew Ideology Of Education” Teaching And Teaching Materials Research, 1997