Re: Do Asians and Westerners Think Differently? -> Sapir-Whorf hypothesis ?

From: randy (cryofan@mylinuxisp.com)
Date: Sun Jul 27 2003 - 14:12:52 MDT

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    I think this hypothesis has some general truth to it. I have spent a
    lot of time in Asia, taught Asians, and have an Asian wife (from
    Taiwan).

    Maybe some of this difference in thinking styles has something to do
    with the educational systems there.

    They do have great respect for education. They also yearn for
    education.

    For example, they do have soap operas in Taiwan. One common plot line
    involves a young man who is from common working stock, and who wants
    to be educated. But many schools there are quite competitve, and not
    everyone can be educated, and the dreams of many are smashed by scores
    on tests, which they cannot pass. Often these are standardized tests.
    So they are flunked out. THe young man continues to strive, to work
    towards his dream--his dream of passing the test, and being educated.
    So this is the whole soap opera--the story of the young man's struggle
    with a test and with the educational system. Very popular plot line
    in Taiwanese soap operas.

    Compare that with our own soap opera plotlines....

    But even so, Asian education in large part seems to revolve around
    success in the system and not with learning. THere seems to be much
    less interest in learning for learning's sake.

    Also, my wife, who has a degree from Tawan, and is working on a degree
    here, often complains about the teaching here as compared to Taiwan:
    apparently the professors here do not teach to the test nearly as well
    as in Taiwan, THere, the prof goes over everything needed to pass the
    test in the classroom. THere is little doubt or ambiguity about
    anything. Not much aggressive or independent learning or research
    goes on there. Also, lab work (in engineering), is apparently far
    more difficult here).

    As for the Mandarin language, one interesting aspect about it that I
    can gather is that the characters also tell a historical story. This
    is supposedly why Taiwanese do not like the simplified characters used
    by China: the simplified characters lose their historical
    significance.

    -------------
    -Randy



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