News trom China

Outcry as Chinese school makes iPads compulsory

Apple produets are incredibly popular in China, but not everyone can afford them A school in northern China has been criticised for enforcing iPad learning as part of its new curriculum, it's reported.

According to China Economic Daily, the Danfeng High School in Shaanxi province recently issued a notice saying that, “as part of a teaching requirement, students are required to bring their own iPad” when they start the new school year in September. Stafftold the paper that using an iPad would “improve classroom efficiency”, and that the school would manage an internet firewall, so that parents would not have to worry about students using the device for other means.

However, China Economic Daily says that after criticism from parents, who felt that it would be an “unnecessary financial burden”, headmaster Yao Hushan said that having an iPad was no longer a mandatory requirement. Mr Yao added that children who don't have a device could still enrol, but that he recommended students bring an iPad as part of a “process of promoting the digital classroom”.

The incident led to lively discussion on the Sina Weibo social media platform. “Those parents that can't afford one will have to sell a kidney!” one user quipped.

Others expressed concerns about the health implications of long-term electronic device use. “I worry about their Vision,” one user said, and another said they would all become “short-sighted and have to wear glasses.”

But others felt that it was a good move in line with new modem ways of teaching. “They are affordable for the average family,” one said, “they don't necessarily need to buy the latest model.”

Reporting by KerryAllen

Taken from: www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere

Nice to meet you

One of the things you learn when studying English is how to present yourself and most people learn phrases such as “How do you do?” or “Hi, my name is…”. However, one thing that language teachers don’t explain is that British people very rarely use these expressions. British people are not very good at introductions in informal situations. They are not sure what to say or what do with their hands. Whereas Brazilians or Americans will confidently extend their hands to people they meet at parties or social situations, English people prefer just to smile.

Expressions like “Hello, I’m John Smith”, “Hi, my name is…” are only used when we have to identify ourselves; for example when we go to an appointment at the dentist’s or the hairdresser’s, or if we’re telephoning someone to ask for information about ourselves.

Dialogues in school books where English teenagers present themselves to each other on the first day of school are pure fantasy. In informal social situations, British people prefer to stay chatting about something neutral like the weather, or else they use humour to break the ice. When the conversation has progressed, or even just before leaving, you can say, “I’m Ann, by the way.”, or “I didn’t catch your name”. If you meet the person again you can say, “Hello again” or, more colloquially, “Hi ya”, which stands for “Hello, nice to see you again”.

In the case of formal meetings or business situations, many language courses teach the expression “How do you do?” – to which you should answer “How do you do?”. This phrase is also recommended by the website ediplomat.com and Drett’, the famous specialist publisher that has a range of guides on British etiquette. I have said “How do you do” in my entire life and no one has never said that to me! In today’s Britain this expression is best reserved for extremely formal situations. It is, however, something that people over 60 might say, so if your elderly boss or professor uses this expression with you, then it’s polite to answer in the same way