Education systems and learning styles vary across regions, countries, and cultures. The United States has a very different education system than countries in East Asia, like China, Korea, and Vietnam, where most of our international students hail from. Adjusting to a new style of learning, with different expectations and outcomes is difficult to anyone, especially if you are a teenager experiencing a completely foreign culture for the first time.
East Asian education systems and learning styles are very different than that of the United States. Chinese students are taught to the Gaokao, a national test similar to the SAT that determines where you will go to college. Because of this focus on learning to take one test, homework can be viewed as “practice,” and not be taken as seriously as tests.
Memorization is highly revered, and plagiarizing is not illegal, due to the collectivist culture. Chinese students often believe that the goal of education is providing the right answer, no matter who first articulated it, which causes concerns with citing sources. In fact, students often times students from China have their college entrance essays ghostwritten for them.
Although learning styles vary greatly between Asia and the United States, there are ways you can help your international student overcome challenges and succeed in school. We are hosting a webinar with our sister company, The Cambridge Network, to discuss learning style differences and how international students can overcome these challenges on February 2, 2017 at 12 PM EDT. Register now for this event! If you’d like to attend, but cannot make this time, register anyways and we’ll send you a recording!