Continued ... Visiting high school students from China experience cultural , educational differences
“ I love this school very much ,” Alexandra said . “ The teacher here is very kind . Our teachers are a little strict . The class is lively . The students are very active . The Chinese teachers don ’ t allow children to talk with each other . Mostly in the classes , the students just hear the teacher and do their homework . In my school , we don ’ t have a cafeteria . We eat in the classroom . It was very interesting to eat in a cafeteria .”
Besides field trips to Waxhaw and Charlotte , part of their experience was to attend classes at Marvin Ridge High School .
New Town third grader Caroline Petroff , at left , enjoys talking with Chinese student Alexandra , one of nine high school students who visited Union County from Nanjing , which is located in a province in China called Jiangsu .
“ We ’ ve worked to give them a nice balance of school experiences , family experiences , and some chances to learn about the Charlotte area and North and South Carolina ,” said Marvin Ridge High School principal Donna Cook .
The students attended a wide variety of classes including English , pre-calculus , American history , biology , chemistry , visual arts , chorus , and physical education . In addition , students attended class sessions in Career and Technical Education , such as foods , marketing , and apparel .
“ They were immersed in developing English as their second language as they seek to become fully bilingual in Chinese and English ,” Cook said .
Marvin Ridge 10th grader , Kristin Lavelle , was a host student , meaning one of the students from China stayed with Kristin ’ s family .
“ To be able to host a student from China is an experience like no other ,” Kristin said . “ It was amazing to learn about the differences in culture between America and China , which also provided for many laughs . This hosting experience went far beyond my expectations in a great way . I know that these two weeks will leave lasting memories for the both of us and I couldn ’ t imagine it any other way .”
The biggest challenge for many of the students from China was communication . “ I use Google translate with my host family sometimes ,” said Hanna , a 15-year-old sophomore .”
Students noted that there are many differences between schools in China and those in America . Changing classes was a new concept . “ The teachers come to the classroom , but the students don ’ t change ,” Hanna said . “ We have fixed classrooms . I like that better because we can get to know our classmates better . “
Her fellow classmate , Rain , a 16-year-old sophomore , didn ’ t agree . “ I like to go to different classrooms so I can meet different people and make more friends . I also like that students here can pick their own subjects in high schools . In China , they are chosen for us .”
Schools in America , Rain said , are more informal . “ Students can ask questions whenever they want ,” he said . “ It ’ s not limited . In our schools , we have to raise our hands first . The teachers in our schools are very strict , but here they are very friendly .”
At the sister high school in Nanjing , classes are 45 minutes long , with a 10-minute break after each class . Students also take naps after lunch in their dormitory .
This brings up another very big difference between education in the two countries .
“ There is residential boarding from grades one on up ,” Cook said . “ Even the first graders have their little dorm , with a dorm mother . Some children who do live near the school do commute , but they do have that boarding component for most of the students .”
The length of the school day is also very different . Rain said he gets home from school about 10 p . m . because students in China stay in class 14 hours a day , having both day classes and night classes .
Rain said he had always planned to stay in China for his entire educational career , but after coming to the US , he might change his mind . “ I may try to come here and further study in America ,” he said .
Cultural differences also were evident in the homes of the host families . Students said they noticed there was more conversation among family members than they were used to .
Rain said every night his host family enjoyed a movie together and then spent quality time talking to each other . “ That is good . I need more time to chat with my family .”
Even though students will head home Thursday , they have made life-long connections .
“ I made good friends here ,” Hanna said . “ When I go home , we will keep in touch with each other .”
A student from Hanna ’ s host family agreed . “ Hosting a student from Nanjing , China was a great experience . It allowed me to learn the ways of a person from another culture ,” said ninth-grade Marvin Ridge student Julianne Whitsitt .
“ Together Hanna , my host student , and I created tons of memories . We went shopping , ate loads of food , played all sorts of games and just talked ,” Julianne said . “ We learned what we had in common and what we didn ’ t . Together we brought two countries far apart together for a bit . It was unforgettable .”
— This article was provided by the Union County Public Schools Communications Office .
Parent Teacher Magazine • Mar / Apr 2017 • 11