Modern linguistics considers language to be one of the factors that have a decisive influence on thinking. Therefore, according to this conclusion, there is a very close relationship between language and thinking, or different language users have very different ways of thinking. This fact is very challenging for people who develop a second language mindset.
For example, for Chinese students whose mother tongue is Chinese, it is very difficult to cultivate direct thinking in English. The process of writing is a reflection of the process of thinking in what language. There are certain ways to cultivate the thinking mode of English ** writing, and there are two main methods, one is imitation, and the other is to get rid of the influence of the mother tongue (Chinese).
1.Imitate. It is a well-accepted fact that writing begins with imitation. People who are beginning to learn to write in English** need to start with the first imitation of the baby, just like babies who are learning to speak in English for the first time. Of course, the stimulation of language function is closely related to the environment. In the native language environment, children can imitate the speech of adults in a short period of time and stimulate their initial language skills. However, learning a foreign language is different because of the lack of a native language environment, and in addition to imitation, it requires a lot of effort and continuous practice. Writing is the same, in addition to imitating the original author, it also requires long-term and constant practice. Specifically, the imitation of writing thinking includes different levels of lexicon, syntax, and discourse. In addition, imitation writing also includes imitation and learning of discourse designing, data collection, and argumentation. Through continuous imitation and practice, the ability to write directly in English can be cultivated gradually.
2.Get rid of the influence of your mother tongue.
According to Chomsky's theory of transformational generative grammar, the generation of a person's linguistic ability is formed from the ears and eyes of childhood. So mother tongue thinking is a product of natural growth, and it fundamentally affects a person's thinking patterns. In contrast to L1 acquisition, second language acquisition (SLA) is a different process. Essentially, a person learning a second language can never reach the level of a native speaker. One of the main reasons for this is that the use of a second language is often influenced by the first language (mother tongue). As far as English writing is concerned, the writer's thinking is also heavily influenced by the native language. Writing in English without thinking in English is destined to fail to write authentic English articles. For example, Chinese students who drink a lot to study in the UK, when they write English **, they use the "heart translation" method, which is to think in Chinese, and then translate it into English "inside". Such an article is obviously separated by a layer, and it is not really expressed in English.
To write in English to be truly mature, you must think directly in English. Of course, thinking in English is not unattainable. Through repeated writing exercises, the proportion of "heart translation" will become smaller and smaller, and finally it can be close to disappearing. Therefore, for international students, it takes repeated practice to think directly in English. In the process of studying, you also need to accumulate experience in thinking in English as much as possible, so that you can continue to strengthen your English thinking habits over time, so as to fundamentally improve your English writing ability.
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