Metaphor analysis: a comparative study of Chinese pre-school children’s attitude towards English learning in Shanghai and Mudanjiang

This study focuses on the experiences and feelings of pre-school children in two different regions about English learning to identify attitudinal differences in these attitudes between remote and urban areas. The research adopted the elicited metaphor analysis (EMA) to investigate the interest and preferences for English learning of 160 Chinese children, ages 4 to 6 (80 males and 80 females), in Shanghai (a major metropolitan city) and Mudanjiang (a small border city in north eastern China). The results showed that children in a remote area had a superior interest and attitude towards English learning than did their peers in an urban area. They gained perception by interacting with their surroundings and making full use of their senses and materials nearby. Moreover, children’s English learning is influenced by Chinese culture and reflects local cultural characteristics. This study suggests that children should be exposed to the English language environment to obtain the core experiences for future English learning, even though the environment may not be suitable. The findings relate directly to teacher training and textbook compilation.