How To Perceive Chinese Students

The purpose of this study is to investigate foreign teachers' opinions aboutChinese students. It studies the stereotypical features of Chinese students inforeign teachers' eyes, and after a period of their teaching in China, thedevelopment of their opinions—either confirmed or changed.25 foreign teachers were interviewed in the study. Although they are fromdifferent backgrounds, teaching Chinese students of differentlevels—CUGB(China University of Geosciences in Beijing), YanshanUniversity( in Qin Huangdao city, Hebei Province) and Modern English (anEnglish training school in Beijing), they reached certain consensus regarding thestereotypical features of Chinese students.Based on the interviews, the reasons for those stereotypes and the disturbingbehaviors of Chinese students like being silent and passive on the class,memorizing everything in the textbooks and cheating in tests have been analyzed.Besides Chinese cultural values, especially the Confucian values, problems ofChina's education system and social issues are also discussed.The findings suggest that certain Chinese education practices also cause the'disturbing' behaviors of Chinese students. Before they get to universities orcolleges, Chinese students, from their preschool years, receive the education thatencourages test-oriented study style which limits the students' horizon andcreativity. Factors such as language training of young children, making horizontalcomparison among young children, and lack of liberal arts education are discussedto explain the education problems causing 'disturbing' behaviors on foreignteachers' class.The research analyzes the roots of the problems from the perspectives ofChinese traditional culture and education system. Foreign teachers who came toChina before long or who is planning to come to China may find it helpful tounderstand their students and their behaviors. Chinese teachers might get someideas from this research and improve their teaching method in order to developstudents' creativity and other qualities which prepare them for the global trend.