Richard Paul Roman's Blog (11)

Two interesting articles today. One about a BBC programme that follows 5 Chinese teachers who teach in an English school for a month and both their and the students experience. The second article is more about what should education be about and looking at the two systems. Kind of interesting…





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A Chinese mother has become a walking dictionary by memorising the English-Chinese Dictionary from cover to cover, reported the People’s Daily.



Li Yanzhi, 51, from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, is able to explain the meaning of every single word in the 2,458-page book, which consists of 220,000 entries.…



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ARTWORKS - Seeing Changchun through my eyes



For some years now a few people have discussed the idea of holding an Art exhibition organised by the ex expatriate community showcasing the arts of Changchun by both the expatriate and local artists. This has been one of those ongoing discussions which always seem to end up with everyone agreeing that it is a good idea but no-one ever actually taking that first step. Well, we have decided that talking the talk is all well and good but now… Continue

Today it is a mecca of Asian influence and American tourism - a melting pot of exotic food, lively bars and cheap jewelry and gift shops.

But between 1981 and 19841, New York's Chinatown was undergoing something of a revolution, as the primarily-older, predominantly-male residents that had created the area in lower Manhattan were forced to move aside for the young families and workers that were immigrating to the United States from Mainland china…





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I was chewing the fat and discussing this and that' with some friends and we thought that the following debates/discussions were interesting. After the Chinese New Year we will set them up. Any other ideas?



what is the purpose of your life?



are genetically modified organisms good or bad for the planet



Global warming is a myth



globalisation - a clash of civilisations?



Socrates and Confucius. - the giants of western and Chinese thinking. What… Continue

Ok, so many people on this site are teachers. So my question is: What is true education. Here are a number of ideas from some Western philosophers



Concepts of Education as defined by Western philosophers. Your ideas please!



1. Socrates: "Education means the bringing out of the ideas of universal validity which are latent in the mind of every man".



2. Plato: "Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment. It develops in the body and in… Continue

Changchun Friends will have been around in Changchun for 10 years this year so we would like to wish everyone who has helped, participated or supported us a Happy New Year.



It first started as an idea that Alex Antonicelli and Richard Roman had of creating a small guide for Changchun and using this as a means to teach their students both design and business skills. The launch of the first book was held at the Shangri La and this proved very popular and became the stepping stone for… Continue

1. The Heart ♥ Emoji (for love) — The Heart ♥ Emoji (for love) is the Top Word of 2014. Each emoji represents an emotion, expression, or state of mind, or a person, place or thing.



2. Hashtag — The re-invented pound-sign becomes evermore powerful.



3. Vape — Smoking an electronic or e-cigarette, shorthand for vaporize, or vaping. Vapers are banned from indoor vaping in New York and other locales.



4. Blood Moon — Four total eclipses of the moon in eighteen-month… Continue

The Notice of the Second “Jilin and I ” Theme Writing Activity

To enhance international friends’ understanding of Jilin province, and have good memories of Jilin, Jilin Province Information Office, Education Department, Friendship Association with Foreign Countries of Jilin Province will hold jointly the Second “Jilin and I” Theme Writing Activity. The related issues as follows.

First, activity purpose

The activity is aimed at recording the international friends’ unforgettable… Continue

There is a difference between Western schools and Chinese schools. In England, we set up an annual calendar with the beginning and end of each term. In China, students, teachers, and lecturers wait till near the end of each term to find out when the term finishes.

I find this an interesting cultural difference. Any ideas as to what these differences are?

I was just wondering. In the UK it is traditional to have Christmas crackers with your Christmas lunch. Does any other country do this?