The most enjoyable part of grading the exams has been reading the essay questions. For this exam there was only one essay question which covered cultural differences between China and the West. I told the students ahead of time that the essay would be on cultural differences; the rest of the test focused on information about the specific Western countries that we studied.
Teaching culture was a big challenge for me. I wanted to cover the smaller, interesting and entertaining details like tipping in restaurants, food, holidays etc. but I also wanted to get at the more complicated differences like cultural values, ways of thinking and lifestyle in general. Some of the students were completely lost on the more abstract concepts but many were able to get it (I think). The essays are more helpful to me than the class evaluations in seeing what the students actually took away from the class. Some are horribly disappointing, others are completely surprising, a few are offensive, several are impressive and many are just plain hilarious and adorable. A lot include information that is a) just plain wrong, b) topics we never talked about in class and I have no idea where they heard it/learned about it, c) slightly skewed advice that we did talk about in class, d) super creative and funny observations that seem to be original.
Needless to say, reading these 160 essays on the Chinese perspective concerning Western cultural differences could be a whole book in itself. It's pretty eye-opening and I'm enjoying it immensely. I just hope that the students took more away from the class than simple surface-level cultural "oddities" like firm handshakes, waiting in line and putting toilet paper in the toilet instead of throwing it away.
Here's the final exam essay question and one example that looks similar to many of the essays I have read so far:
One of your Chinese friends from your hometown sends you a message on QQ and says that he/she is going to study in America for a year and wants to know if you have any advice for them. You decide to write an email explaining many of the cultural differences between China and the West. Your email to your friend should be an organized essay of at least one page that shares, in your own words, at least 8 differences in the lives/opinions/culture/mindset of Chinese compared to Americans. Do not simply list your ideas, you must explain them in essay form as if you were truly writing an email to your friend. Be creative, use complete sentences and be sure to include specific details and examples.
Dear Button*,
I am so happy to know that you are going to study in America. As we all know, there are many differences between China and the West. We grow up in different environments and the food we eat and the education we receive are completely different. Children in the West are more independent, they are equal to their parents in the family and they must move out of their parents’ house when they turn to 18. Because of this, they begin to take part-time jobs at a young age, maybe 15 or 16. So, perhaps almost every student in your school will have more work experience than you.
Now, I am going to tell you some different details in daily life. First, if you want to shake hands with somebody, remember to shake with some strength or others will think that you are weak or not friendly. Second, try to line in a queue when you do everything. Third, never talk too loudly in public or you will be considered to be rude and impolite. Besides, you are supposed to leave a tip for the waiter or waitress in a restaurant. One more thing, in the West they usually take a shower in the morning while we do that in the evening.
When you first arrive there, maybe you will be surprised that people there are so open. It is easy for them to kiss in public, to say “I love you” and so on. Do not feel strange; it’s normal there. However, to sing in public is considered a little scary and embarrassing there while it’s normal in our country. What I am now worried about is the food, which is really different between our nation and the West. Food there will be bread, sandwiches, apple pies, fried chicken and so on. I hope that you can get used to that. What’s more, they would like to drink some cold drinks even in the winter, which seems crazy to us. At last, I want to tell you that please say “thank you” all the time. Wish you a happy life there! Good luck!
Yours,
Selena*
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