collageIn the near future, do you visualize studying in Chinese university? If that’s so, what do you really know about Chinese universities? This is why reading the article below is crucial since it brings you to some of the important facts, like chinese students cultural differences. Simply read on to find out more.
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Ever wonder why your students are wearing their jackets inside? Surely the families aren’t foregoing heat to pay for their children’s English lessons, right? The answer actually has nothing to do with finances.
Central heating is generally unavailable in apartment and office buildings in the southern parts of China, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hunan province. This is because Chinese heating policy from the 1950s dictated which areas could have central heating. Since northern China has colder winters, areas north of the Huai River-Qin Mountains can warm their apartments. Those south of the line have to shiver through the winter, though temperatures usually don’t go below freezing.
Face
You may already be familiar with the phrase “saving face.” It’s an expression we use in English to describe actions taken to avoid public humiliation. Maybe you make excuses for your friend so that his parents don’t get angry at him. Or you indirectly suggest a better idea to your boss because everyone in the meeting is rolling their eyes at his irrational plans.
The concept of face is common among Asian cultures; however, it is much more complex and nuanced than merely avoiding embarrassing situations. The social importance of face is quite complicated, but an important aspect of Chinese culture. If you have ever conducted business with an Asian partner, then you most likely encountered this concept. It may be one of the most challenging cultural differences between China and the West to understand.
To briefly summarize (and oversimplify), you can both gain and lose face through your actions. If you do something well and get praised for it, that’s one way to gain face. Losing your temper and shouting at someone will cause you to lose face. For those desiring a deeper understanding of this concept, China Mike, a China travel resource site, provides an in-depth and example-rich explanation.
In the context of the online ESL classroom, it can help to explain why students are hesitant to speak in English or offer answers. It goes beyond shyness, but an unwillingness to make a mistake in front of their peers.
Focus on education
We’ve written before about the pressure students feel to do well in school. But just to reiterate, education is a top priority in Chinese culture. These views stem from Confucian writings, which saw learning as a central tenant to developing both the self and society. In modern times, education is seen as the primary vehicle to achieve a good job, family, and financial success. Entrance into top universities in China is extremely competitive and almost exclusively based on students’ GaoKao (college entrance exam) scores.
As a result, students of all ages spend a significant amount of time in school and after-school classes. They often take extra tutoring in core subjects: Chinese, math, and English. Some may also take extracurricular classes in art, music or dance. Online ESL classes are only a small part of the average 17 hours per week a Chinese student spends studying outside of the compulsory school system.
Discipline
Maybe you’ve read about it in an online ESL teaching Facebook group, or perhaps you’ve witnessed it yourself. The teacher is conducting the class, and the student makes a mistake. In comes a parent shouting, scolding their child, maybe even hitting them.
Fortunately, such situations are uncommon. Corporal punishment in schools has been banned in China since the 1980s. The latest generation of parents seems to be less inclined to use physical punishment to discipline their children. However, the methods used to enforce good behavior probably look a lot different in China compared to a Western household. What is seen as abuse from an American perspective is not necessarily viewed that way to all Chinese families.
These cases are never easy to navigate, and it can seem unethical to let such behavior continue. You may alert your tutor support of what you saw, but keep in mind that neither you nor the ESL company has any authority over parents’ choices in discipline.
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