Lilian Loh

Professor Morgan

English 1302

2018 February 23

Compare and Contrast Essay: Chinese and English

Many immigrants come from different countries in hopes of searching for opportunity, a

new way of life. A frequent common challenge these individuals are faced with is language

barrier. In recent years, thousands of Chinese speaking ethnicities have immigrated to the United

States. In fact, the immense sizes of America and China “guarantees that many people will

communicate in English and Chinese,” (Wang 647). This paper will analyze the similarities and

differences between the Chinese and English languages.

One difference between English and Chinese would be the thinking patterns. Chinese

speakers utilize visual thinking while English speakers practice rational thinking. For example,

“The Chinese is perceptual in their comprehensive thought, but the English and other Western

nations may have developed their own rational and analytic thinking modes,” (Wang 647). This

means that the Chinese typically focus more on unity while the English emphasize on separation

(separating God and the individual). The Chinese stresses the whole whereas the English focuses

on the building blocks. This difference results in two opposing thinking patterns, simply due to

two unlike belief systems and customs.

To specify the varying types of thinking between the Chinese and English people, the
Chinese emphasize generalizing thinking whereas the English prioritize analytical thinking. In

other words, the Chinese concern themselves with intuitive thinking. They think of the entirety,

and exemplify their body to express their emotion. On the other hand, the English thinking

pattern focuses on individualism. They focus on analytical logical thinking. Therefore, in the

Chinese language, “sense has always been the dominator while the expression forms have been

much neglected. But the Westerners, especially the British nation has always stressed analysis

and rationality in their thinking,” (Wang 648). To Westerners, “individualism is the prime

concern and is always dependent, which has resulted in their dualistic philosophy,” where

materials and human nature are separated (Wang 648).

Another concrete, structural difference between the English and the Chinese would be

how the words of each language are interpreted and formed. For one, English word formation

expresses “various forms such as “affixation, compounding and conversion, blending, clipping

acronyms, backformation and adoption from proper nouns,” (Wang 648). However, Chinese

characters never undergo this process. The meanings of Chinese characters are determined by the

context, whereas English has designated words to mean specific concepts.

In conclusion, the English and Chinese languages vary in a plethora of different ways.

The English language is individualistic, analytical, and logical. In contrast, the Chinese language

is unifying, intuitive, and all-encompassing.

 Work Cited

Wang, Ying. “Differences of English and Chinese as Written Languages and Strategies in

English Writing Teaching.”

http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol03/04/13.pdf​.