Lights On China: To learn English

Some say that what Chinese students learn is really "written English", rather than "written and spoken English", and the reason is Chinese students are used to writing, but be reluctant to open their mouth.

I think this is more than the problem of how to learn a foreign language, but the problem embedded in Chinese education system. Chinese students keep to be taught to listen what their parents and teachers say, to be taught to follow, to obey, but rarely to be taught to question or to think. Under such kind of education style, students will be used to listening, rather than speaking or questioning.

So, the problem is not Chinese students don't know how to say, but they don't know what to say. What worries me is what if such education influence the society more and more? At that time, the problem will be more than the problem of our education, but our society.

http://lang-8.com/82911/journals/261310