Westernstudentsenjoyaseeminglyrelaxededucationalexperience.This,however,isnotthecaseforstudentsinAsia,whofacecrushingworkloadsandareoftenverydisciplined.InthefirstpartofherGlobalist.

　　Chinahasalonghistoryofstandardizedtests,beginningwiththeancientimperialexamsinitiatedduringtheSuiDynasty.ShellyChenisatthetopoftheclassattheShanghaiforeignlanguageschool,oneofthecity’sbestmiddleschools.AlreadynearfluentinEnglish,sheisstudyingGermanandranksamongthehighestinhergradeinphysics.HergoalistogetafullscholarshiptoHarvardtostudybiochemistry.ItisnotonlyWesternexpatriatesthatgrowanxiouswhenhearingaboutstudentslikeShelly.

　　ThroughoutEngland,politicians,parentsandpunditsworrythattheindustriousnessanddisciplineofkidsintheEastareleavingrelativelyrelaxedWesternerstrailingbehind.Thoughthereissomedebatesurroundingthestatistics,itiswidelybelievedthatNorthAmericaisfailingtoproducesufficientgraduatesinsciencesandengineering.

　　Chinesestudentsaretaughtthatallquestionshavebutonerightanswerandthereislittleroomfordebate.NorthAmericaneducationneedstomoveawayfromanemphasisonfun,flexibilityandindividuallearningstyles.Instead,ithastoshifttowardsamorestrict,disciplinedteachingenvironmentthatmathandscience,inparticular,seemtodemand.ThisshiftcanbediscernedeveninCanada,wheretherearenocollegeentranceexams,andwhere,standardizedtesting,memorizationandrotelearninghavelongbeenfrownedupon.

　　还有AmericanandChinesecultureintheresponsesforahostessareatpolaropposites.AnAmericanhostess,complimentedforherculinaryskills,islikelytosay,“Oh,I’msogladyoulikedit,Icookeditespeciallyforyou.”NotsoaChinesehostorhostess(oftenthehusbanddoesthefancycooking),whowillinsteadapologizeprofuselyforgiveyou“nothing”evenslightlyediblehonorbyprovidingproperdishes.

　　Thesamerulesholdtruewithregardtochildren.Americanparentsspeakproudlyoftheirchildren’saccomplishments,tellinghowJohnnymadetheschoolteamorJanemadethehonorwell.NotsoChineseparents,whosechildren,evenifatthetopoftheirclassinschool,arealwaysso“naughty”,neverstudying,neverlisteningtotheirelders,andsoforth.

　　ThelastandalsothemostdistinctivedifferencebetweenAmericancultureandChinesecultureistheChinesetakepridein“modesty”;theAmericansin“straightforwardness”.ThatmodestyhasleftmanyaChinesehungryatanAmericantable,forChinesepolitenesscallsforthreerefusalsbeforeoneacceptsanoffer,andtheAmericanhoststakea“no”tomean“no”,whetherit’sthefirst,second,orthirdtime.