Understanding the cultural difference in English and Chinese rhetorical patterns

• In Event: Understanding the cultural difference in English and Chinese rhetorical patterns

Short Description

One big challenge that Chinese students face is the difficulty in mastering coherence and cohesion in English writing. Constructing fluent and effective English writing that hangs together can be a hard task for them. The difficulty is due to the widely varied thought patterns in English and Chinese, which are rooted in the language system and culture. Influenced by the Chinese norm of social interaction, Chinese students tend to convey their arguments in an indirect and circular pattern. This paper aims to raise the awareness towards the cultural difference in understanding coherence and cohesion in Chinese and English rhetorical patterns.

Author

• Presenter: Wing Bo Anna Tso, The Open University of Hong Kong