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Lesson 2 Different Schools Tapescript Mrs Liu: Most of you have met Jack and Nicholas – our exchange students from the UK. I've asked them to talk to us this afternoon about their learning experiences in the UK. Jack, let's start with you. Can you tell us about the kind of education you had? Jack: Good morning, everyone. I guess I had quite a traditional education. By “traditional” education, I mean that there were lots of rules. It was very strict! They didn't allow even the slightest loose conduct. The school was founded in 1896 and it's very proud of its reputation. The teachers were always telling us to do something – even little things... ‘Do this! Do that! Hurry up! Slow down!' There were so many rules at that school and we had to obey them at all times! Mrs Liu: I see. But what about the classroom learning itself? Jack: Oh, I guess it was traditional, too. However, I think we had excellent teachers. In class, teachers would give lectures and we took a lot of notes. We had to review the notes after class and remember some texts. We had to put up our hands and stand up straight to answer the teacher's questions. Also, we had a lot of homework to do after school. Everything we studied would be tested. Even now, I can remember some of the texts and poems we learned. Mrs Liu: That's very interesting, thanks, Jack. Nicholas, can you describe the kind of schooling you had? Nicholas: Sure. My school is very different from Jack's school. My school only started in 1967 and it isn't traditional, you know, or conservative. The school motto is “making our school fit for every child” — that means it cares for关心every student and it recognises that we all have different learning needs and learning styles. Our teachers were all very mild and kind-hearted. They were very patient with each of us and they were not very strict. They did not like to hand out punishment at all. Mrs Liu: Can you tell us what learning was like in the classroom? Nicholas: Well, we were never treated simply as receivers of knowledge and asked to memorise the texts. Instead, we took an active part in learning and were involved in a lot of reading, writing and problem-solving activities. We were allowed to work at our own pace, and we could ask questions whenever we wanted. We didn't wear uniforms and the teachers didn't always tell us what to do. They used different types of learning activities and made each subject as interesting as possible. To check what we had learned, they seldom gave us tests but encouraged us to do lots of project work and interesting assignments. I think my school took a learner-centred approach to teaching. Mrs Liu: I see. What do you think about your school? Nicholas: For me, it was great. I don't think I could have studied at Jack's school. Tapescript Mrs Liu: Is this kind of learner-centred approach popular in the UK? Nicholas: Not really. I don't think it's as popular as it used to be in the 1970s. Now the competition to get selected for university is much greater and a lot of parents see traditional, strict schools, like Jack's, as giving students the best chance. But I think that this approach prepares us better for university and real-life because we learn about our own learning styles. Mrs Liu: Do you agree with that, Jack? Jack: Well, to a certain extent, yes, but I can't really say because I only know my type of school. One of the problems I've heard about the sort of alternative school Nicholas goes to is that students don't prepare well for tests. Nicholas: I'm sorry to disagree, Jack, but I don't accept that at all. I think many people misunderstand and believe that the learner-centred approach isn't as good as the traditional method. That just isn't true. We used to practise doing exams but we were also taught how to study more independently. Research shows that we do just as well as students from traditional schools. Jack: Well, maybe you're right. Our lessons were very structured, and we were tested on the content, the facts – we weren't taught how to analyse or think about something on our own. I guess I would have preferred your type of school. Nicholas: Not necessarily. It doesn't suit all students. You may not have liked it, Jack. Jack: You might be right but I would've liked to try it! Mrs Liu: That is all very interesting – perhaps we can talk about it again later. Thank you both for sharing your experiences with us. |
