On Saturday morning (9/12/2009), Vincent had his first football class. He was asking for that class for a while although I am afraid that he maybe too skinny for that class. He learned the basic techniques in that class and he was so excited. Comparing to other kids, he is a slow learner on football. I guess part of the reason is culture difference. Vincent didn’t even watch a football game before since we immersed him to Chinese culture. It is a big challenge for me to balance the effort to US culture and Chinese culture since it is so different. It is a very good learning experience for Vincent.
On Sunday, Vincent and Sophie went to Chinese school and I am the teacher for six grade and also composition class. My students are around 14 years old and I am shocked on their level of writing. It is astonished to see that their writing skill is in an elementary level after learning Chinese for 9 years. I feel that lack of reading is the main reason so I started to force Vincent to read by himself a Chinese article per day. He may get too much in his plate now. I am not sure if I should unload him a little bit.
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Revision by Alan. (Thanks Alan):
ReplyDeleteVincent has been asking me for sometime to participate in football, and Saturday, September 12, 2009, he had his first session. Since then he has been excited about learning the basic concepts and techniques of this rigorous, demanding and challenging sport. However, I am concerned because compared to other children within his age group, he may be too thin. He also appears to be having some difficulty in grasping the fundamentals of this sport that I imagine is attributable to cultural differences. For example, although he is an excellent student, he never watched football growing-up while being immersed in Chinese culture. Nevertheless, I feel this exposure will be a very good learning experience for him. I also believe that the discipline and interaction with his peers, including the demands of the game will be a valuable experience to his overall development.
Vincent and Sophie attended Chinese school Sunday where I am the sixth-grade teacher, and help students with their writing, grammar and composition skills. I am also teaching fourteen year-olds, and am very concerned about their writing skills that appear to be on par with the elementary age level. This is particularly disturbing since these students have spent the last nine years learning Chinese. Perhaps, this is attributable to their lack of reading. Consequently, I am also concerned about Vincent's overall academic development, and have impressed upon him to read a Chinese article every day. Although, he may have a lot on his plate, still, I am adamant that Vincent lives-up to his potential.