Styles of logic and thinking

Abstract

Researchers have long made connections between language and culture. More recently Nisbett's Geography of Thought has focused attention on the work of intercultural communication researchers who have proposed that there are fundamental and significant differences in the thinking processes of those influenced by the Western or Grecian style of logical thinking, in contrast to the Eastern or Confucian style of thinking. These differences can be demonstrated in the cognitive and affective domains, and even at the level of neural transmissions observed via MRI scans. While teachers regularly confront the grammar, vocabulary and other problems of Non-English-Speaking Background (NESB) students in our classes, perhaps it is also necessary to deal explicitly with the different styles of thinking that students may be unknowingly applying in their learning or assessment processes. This may challenge the logic presumed as the norm by teachers trained in Western rhetoric. These differences have significance for common assignments such as essay writing, argument presentation, and analytical report writing, plus wider implications for teaching or assessments, which implicitly presume monocultural definitions. This paper will background the relevant intercultural communication research and discuss implications for teaching strategies.