Chinese students in United States
Golden sunlight shines through the clear sky, casts a sharp bright reflection on the top of the mountains in distanced. The airs is tingled up with the sweet smell of summer orange blossom, and with mountains are lining up in one direction, the ocean in the other. The horizon of the blue ocean stretches far and gently vanished little by little, and then finally kisses the skyline. Peer out from the hills over the ocean coast, those palm trees grown tall into the sky, swaying their branches in the breezes, which look like they are long-necked, shaggy-haired giraffes dancing with delight. California --- a Golden State that portrayed as a larger-than-life coast paradise where anything can be possible. In addition …show more content…
Language related problems are common among Chinese international students, since majority of them did not have an English-speaking environment when they were in China. In addition, it’s often times the first time for most of them to sit in a classroom where the lecture was delivered in English only, with a targeted audience of English speakers. There is a number of research studies have identified and discussed about Chinese students ' difficulties with English. For example, experiential studies agreed that language proficiency resulted in much frustration for students from China at American universities and colleges. Being non-native speakers, many Chinese students found the English language as the major obstacle to their academic success, especially in academic writing. Unlike informal speaking where the usage of words does not have to be precise, academic writing requires words and sentences to be used in the exact way they should be. However, it’s hard for non-English speakers to make sure that the structure, grammar and spelling are correct in every sentence of their papers. And most of the times, professors are very critical; therefore, these weakness can hardly let them get away with mistakes. In addition, many Chinese students indicated that they habitually first organize in Chinese and then translate it to English with little consideration of how the Americans would express the same idea. …show more content…
Since all of the Chinese students are used to Chinese educational system, they inevitably have to adjust to the new systems as they begin their graduate education in the U.S. In the American educational system, blind discipline is devalued and self-directedness is encouraged. According to Jian Haixing, the author of In America, One Can Learn Many Things, she points out that “emphasis on individual autonomy accordingly trivializes the relationship between mentors and students”. Just as Liberman (1994) observed, "American students are reluctant to be directed by their professors" (p. 180). Or like Weber (1946) who commented, "No young American would think of having the teacher sell him a Weltanschauung or a code of conduct". However, this academic culture and mentor-student relationship is certainly very different from the Chinese education system. In China, as the dispenser of knowledge, the teacher usually has the control of the classroom and many of them do not expect much student participation or interaction. (Yan, Kun, Berliner, David C, 5). Educated under the Chinese educational system for many years, students are used to keeping silent and are reluctant to express their opinions publicly. After spending many years in the Chinese education system, Chinese students have been well
Golden sunlight shines through the clear sky, casts a sharp bright reflection on the top of the mountains in distanced. The airs is tingled up with the sweet smell of summer orange blossom, and with mountains are lining up in one direction, the ocean in the other. The horizon of the blue ocean stretches far and gently vanished little by little, and then finally kisses the skyline. Peer out from the hills over the ocean coast, those palm trees grown tall into the sky, swaying their branches in the breezes, which look like they are long-necked, shaggy-haired giraffes dancing with delight. California --- a Golden State that portrayed as a larger-than-life coast paradise where anything can be possible. In addition …show more content…
Language related problems are common among Chinese international students, since majority of them did not have an English-speaking environment when they were in China. In addition, it’s often times the first time for most of them to sit in a classroom where the lecture was delivered in English only, with a targeted audience of English speakers. There is a number of research studies have identified and discussed about Chinese students ' difficulties with English. For example, experiential studies agreed that language proficiency resulted in much frustration for students from China at American universities and colleges. Being non-native speakers, many Chinese students found the English language as the major obstacle to their academic success, especially in academic writing. Unlike informal speaking where the usage of words does not have to be precise, academic writing requires words and sentences to be used in the exact way they should be. However, it’s hard for non-English speakers to make sure that the structure, grammar and spelling are correct in every sentence of their papers. And most of the times, professors are very critical; therefore, these weakness can hardly let them get away with mistakes. In addition, many Chinese students indicated that they habitually first organize in Chinese and then translate it to English with little consideration of how the Americans would express the same idea. …show more content…
Since all of the Chinese students are used to Chinese educational system, they inevitably have to adjust to the new systems as they begin their graduate education in the U.S. In the American educational system, blind discipline is devalued and self-directedness is encouraged. According to Jian Haixing, the author of In America, One Can Learn Many Things, she points out that “emphasis on individual autonomy accordingly trivializes the relationship between mentors and students”. Just as Liberman (1994) observed, "American students are reluctant to be directed by their professors" (p. 180). Or like Weber (1946) who commented, "No young American would think of having the teacher sell him a Weltanschauung or a code of conduct". However, this academic culture and mentor-student relationship is certainly very different from the Chinese education system. In China, as the dispenser of knowledge, the teacher usually has the control of the classroom and many of them do not expect much student participation or interaction. (Yan, Kun, Berliner, David C, 5). Educated under the Chinese educational system for many years, students are used to keeping silent and are reluctant to express their opinions publicly. After spending many years in the Chinese education system, Chinese students have been well