How are Korean students' achievement at school?  Is there any relationship bewteen their achievement and native culture?
125234
The two are sure closely related. I'm an english teacher and I work with lots of koreans. I think most koreans that I know are smart, they have good brains! so i think they're able to learn anything they want. I come to understand that it's very important in the korean culture to study well, and it's important to be the best, and each child is encouraged to do the best in everyting they do and every parent will ensure anything that can support their child's development (providing good books, good study environtment, good school, private teachers, good activities, etc). \nI think this kind of attitude will really influence their performance at school, as i see most of them do well in school.
250563
Me! I'm pure South Korean. I was born there but moved when I was 3. I went to New Zealand until I was 9. I then came here. Wow! I'm really shocked at how people think South Korea is like the north. In reality we have a cool country. It's like Japan only it is bright and reeeeaaaallly noise even at night. Koreans are noctural lol. We have beautiful mountains and very smart student. Students in Korea goes to school and tutoring everyday but Sunday. We also have many good sport teams. Like we won the Fifa Soccer 2002 and got 4th place. In Baseball International GAme we got 4th place too. The only problem is overpopulation. Koreans don't smell morons. Other big and powerful country doesn't recognize us because they don't bother to tell the others how mordenized we became. America even tried stopping us from cloning. We Koreans have suffered many racial discrimination with Japan, America, and North Korea. Sigh.
646207
First of all, I'm Korean and living in Korea. :)\n\nAnd, second of all, I have no idea how great Gwangju Univ. is.\n(I've heard some, but a lotta negative informations...)\n\nI'm living in Pusan and majoring in Pusan Natl. Univ.\n(Finest school in Korea)\n\nI want you to be in Pusan\n\nto study though, but it's your decision. :P\n\n\nOk, Enough of prologue...   :D\n\n\nAbout the city, Gwangju, is not developed much.\n\nThat's why you can see there so attractive, I think   :)\n\nok, about that "additional questions":\n\nNight life? Not worse than Seoul, Pusan...\n\nStreets are busy? Not also quite busy.\n\nBoring place? Maybe there is. but, there's lotta people.\n\nGwangju is not a small city. I think there's some fun things :)\n\nClimate? Normally, it's clear and warm. \n\nbut in summer, there's gonna be very very rainny place.\n\nHow expensive it is? Not high, not low. \n\nWell, big spending thing is "accomodation"... \n\nbut, you can solve this problem. \n\ncuz, you can join in your school's dorm. right?   :D\n\nDorm will take about....\n\n160,000 won TO 180,000 won per A MONTH.\n\n(It's very cheap for living. \n other place takes about 30,000 ~ 70,000 won per A DAY.)\n\n\n\nWell, I think that's it.\n\nI hope it helps you. :)\n\n\n\nIF you need more information or other questions you have,\n\nmail me. :)\n\n\nSee ya then
434483
First of all, way to go.  I'm a single parent of two and in school and I know how hard it is.  I find that time management is the most important as well as reading the material every chance you get.  I have a straight A average because I use the school's writing lab for all of my papers as well as having my friends read them and give me critical feedback.  This helps me get better grades and I make sure to always keep my eye on the goal.
103280
I am a native speaker of Korean, but my American friend who has learned French and Korean told me that Korean was ten times harder than French. He now speaks Korean fluently though, after taking Korean at college for four years. As somebody who learned English as a second language, many features of English grammar didn't make sense at all. And I assume that you will find Korean grammar doesn't makke sense at all. And even if you learn the grammar and the vocabulary of Korean perfectly, it will be hard to speak or understand oral speaking, because the word order is quite opposite. For example, if I say "I know a girl who speaks Korean" would be in Korean something like "I Korean speaks a girl know."
260343
As a teacher in the public school system, I see a direct correlation between proper parental involvement and student success. By proper I mean genuine concern and taking personal responsibility for helping their child succeed. I think too many parents are overworked and stressed, not home often enough, or are too busy keeping up with hyperactive schedules to spend the energy it takes to invest in their child's education and teach proper behaviors and habits. Many parents are also trying to be their kid's friend instead of an authority figure. All too often the parents that rant the loudest about the public school system's failures are the ones who refuse to see their child's faults. They blame the school, teachers, administrators and the government for not doing enough or for picking on their kid. Yet, as teachers, there is only so much we can do. I can teach, tutor, follow IEPs, use every resources I can find or create, teach good study habits, use multiple approaches to the topics, call parents, meet with councilors, be highly qualified, try to leave no child behind, and create a positive and stimulating environment, yet I cannot make a child learn. Students, with the help their parents, must take on the responsibility. \nAll of that being said, they are good parents and good teachers that are working together to help children succeed. Just the same as there are those who could do much more. \n\nTo those who invest the time and energy into the education of children, be it their own or other's, Thank you very much. Keep up the good work.
571138
my native language is Tagalog and yes it can be sometimes difficult especially in a literature class or in philosophy class because some words i still have to look up or ask to get the meaning of.. some people don't understand why i can't get a grasp of something simple to them...but most of my professors understand so they offer to help me out to make sure i understand the assignments and readings... so if you're having trouble understanding because your native tongue isn't English or another language just ask for help..
223600
well my culture has influence the classroom setting a lot where the teacher has the say in the class\nmeaning we students arent allowed to voice out our opinions that much\nthis culture tends to be permenant in the child's faculty even when they've reached univeristy level.\nlangauge proficienncy varies\nbut mostly what there always what the teacher says is always correct\neven when its wrong\nim from malaysia and a malay
415829
I am a straight-A-student and for me it's great! If I forget about something, don't know how to do homework or so, teachers always try to help me and there are nearly no consequences of it. They just know I work hard and it's not because of laziness.\nThere are also some cons, though. Sometimes I've got enough of being the first one, HAVING to be the first one. When I say I haven't prepared something just because I don't care, my classmates can't believe in it. It's so strange for them... And, among all, I'm treated like an encyclopaedia. Most of people can't see that I'm a living person, not a machine.
514495
It depends a lot on how the student was homeschooled, from my personal experience. I've met a lot of unschooled teens who are great kids, but their personal interests have not been highly academic. Their behaviour tends to be different from what I see among the high schooled kids--while they do enjoy having fun and being kid-like, they're not immature in what they choose to do.\n\nOn the other spectrum, I've been around homeschooled teens who definitely have better vocabularies than what I hear from many public school teens, more likely to think on a deeper level about issues than simply plod along through life, get through school, focus on friends and their social lives. Like the unschooled teens, they tend to have a more mature outlook on their lives and what's going on around them, all the while preserving their kid-like enjoyment of fun stuff.\n\nSo, I'd say that it's attitude more than anything that makes the difference rather than actual education. Even if a public high school student understood all the vocabulary you use, they aren't likely to use it because social 'normality' is too important. As part of this difference in attitude, you probably take your studies more seriously, or at least more attentively, than most public school students, which is why you would know more, feel smarter.\n\nOn that note, I'd say that it's probably more likely that a homeschooled student following an academic program is likely to be more motivated and attentive in their work than the average public school high school student. Not that there aren't high school students who are highly motivated, but in terms of the average, from what I see here, they aren't that focused on their studies.
615991
Asian and Eastern cultures have a greater respect for education and a greater respect for authority figures (teachers).  Parents expect their children to do their very best, and are an essential factor in making sure that they have the best equipment, supplies, and help at home - and it doesn't matter what their economic condition is.
14194
My daugher did a class project of comparing the life of students at the 6th grade in Japan and in her class. She learned that students in Japan stay longer in class and they play less.  \n\nI do think that American kids are more creative, just lack of focus on basic studies. How to improve the basic education for our kids, we need to think how to improve our school system. \n\nI think that we should extend school hours. Some schools are experiecing what Asian school have been doing for long long time. The benefit of extended school hours will be multifolds: 1) kids will have more structured learning time; 2) parents will not have to worry about hiring after-school care; 3) teachers will get higher pays.
341439
The only thing positive that I can say about my school experiences is that they have strengthened my resolve that no child of mine will ever attend a public school and that I will homeschool if at all possible.\n\nEverything I have learned academically has been learned either from my parents (reading, early math skills, and the ability to engage in logical argument) or from self study (everything else).  \n\nMost of what I learned at school was social and most of it was wrong. \n\nMy school experiences taught me that to be accepted by society you have to look and think like everyone else.  They taught me that I am living in a world where you have to live in a constant mood of defensiveness and that you always work with people who are about your age, from the same part of town, and that most of those people will be living at my economic level and be of the same race and nationality. Finally I learned that if you believe in God than you are wrong and will be punished for practicing your religion and that this only applies to religions stemming from the judeo/Christian tradition.  \n\nI graduated high school in 1992.  The real world has taught me that you work with people who have different ways of thinking, are of a variety of ages, are of variety of races, and come from a variety of socio-economic, and religious backgrounds.
170451
Here is a tip for host families who will have a Japanese student at home. \nEveryone is different, so this tip doesn't apply to every student. However, Japanese students are likely to stay in their room most of the time when they have a home-stay. Because of the language barrier and the new environment, they feel uncomfortable and stressed out. They know they should try to communicate with their host family as much as possible and spend time in the living room. But it is very comfortable especially when they first come to the house. They come to the living room but don't know what to do, so they end up being stuck in their room most of the time. A lot of host family feel very annoyed by this behavior. They feel that the student doesn't like the family, or they just have a negative impression toward the student. These student's behavior easily causes miscommunication and misunderstandings between the family and the student. \nOf course, the student has to study. But I suggest that you try to take her/him out of their room when they aren't studying. Japanese students tend to be very shy and passive. So invite her/him to watch a DVD together in the living room. Cook together. It's better to keep her/him busy with some fun activities you can do together. It can be as simple as a picnic at the park or going shopping. They even will find it fun to go to the grocery store. No matter how quiet she/he can be, keep in mind that they don't dislike you or angry at you. \nHope you have a good time!
420606
While I am not a teacher at present I will tell you the experience of our sons.  In a transfer that took our family from the States to France our sons struggled with the strict atmosphere and lack of help for the students in the international school we put them in (hoping it would be better suited to them. . . . .wrong).  Time was not given to do any work at school, that was to be done at home and turned in promptly,  they had no problem holding students back a year until the school believed they could pass the exams that were given every couple of years which tested on ALL aspects of learning within those years (the Bacculaureate covered all years in school and if you did not score high enough on just one portion (math, language,etc.) you were made to repeat the entire year again.\n\nAfter 1 1/2 years of this and the school wanting to put our sons back 2 years because they didn't think their French was good enough to pass the tests, we found an American school in Switzerland and they finished their high school there.  \n\nHomework is the key.  In the States it was never cool to be at home doing your homework.  However, in Europe you will not survive school without doing homework.  At their school in Switzerland there was mandatory study hall 3 hours EVERY night.  In France the teenagers had little time to do anything because they were always at home or the library doing their homework.  \n\nThe students were prepared the minute they entered the classroom to learn.  They were respectful to the teachers as well as to each other and quiet when the teacher was talking.  This provided a reason for the teachers to be respectful of them as well and willing to listen to their ideas and suggestions.\n\nThey also had field trips to learn about the country they were living in and to show their gratitude to the city where they went to school, they did continutal service projects for the city in many ways, i.e. beautification of town square, mentoring younger towns children, helping on the ski slopes when needed.  Because of this the town loved them, trusted them and at graduation would hang out windows and doorways to wave and shout congratulations to them.\n\nI can't think of a better way to learn.  Not just from books, but to learn first hand about a culture.  Oh, and by the way - out of the 250 students, there were 47 countries represented.  The school was very dilegent in making sure everyone had several countries represented in their dorms which held 4 students.  This gave them one on one contact in both learning and dealing with other cultures and customs.  Not all of them were stellar roommates, but the students did learn tolerance.  How great is that.
646172
I find that the Chinese can be the most reflective nationality...The Japanese are the most careful when it comes to preservation and balance...The Koreans have the best language in the world, bar none...The Vietnamese have a pride and self-respect that is unmatched...The Filipinos have a strength that most others in their position would scarcely uphold... Hard to choose. Nice question. :)
583788
I have been with my polish girlfriend for 4 years and while our cultural backgrounds are not as vastly different compared with say an american and someone from india as you say,  I still think it is perfectly possible for a cross-cultural relationship to be successful. As you said, in my experience it's all about making compromises and being realistic. You can never expect the other person to totally give up their way of life for you, so you have to meet half way, whether it means learning their language, trying new foods and making an effort to socialize with their friends and family who come from a different cultural background. \n\n I think that it is not fair or right to expect someone to just conform to your own culture and traditions  (gender roles in particular), therefore maybe it will only work with the sort of people who are open minded, easy going and trusting . \n\nIf you have love staring you in the face, I reckon it is a mistake for a person to automatically write off the possibility of a serious relationship just because the other is from a different country, therefore assuming that things would never work out. I have seen this attitude before and I just think that its a bit defeatist  If its meant to be, its meant to be.