Math Is Fun Forum

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Chinese students are more intelligent

Chinese students are far more intelligent than Americans when it comes to mathematics:

http://www.mathhelpforum.com/math-help/ … dents.html

Speculations in that discussion thread range from the education system in the US to the way Chinese parents bring up their children. The “theory” I find most amusing is that the Chinese language is so difficult that Chinese children find it easier to learn maths than their native language!

LuisRodg

Real Member

Registered: 2007-10-23

Posts: 322

Re: Chinese students are more intelligent

I had a good laugh from this:

American Parent:
Today is your first day of class, Charlie.
I want you to go out there and do the best you can.
Mommy and Daddy are proud of you.
Bye bye, Charlie.

Chinese Parent:
Today is your first day of school ... the most important day of your life.
If you come back home with report card with 1 B.
I KILL YOU!

Someone posted it at the link LOL. This is taken from a stand-up comedy of Carlos Mencia here in the US (he is Mexican) but he was doing a funny discussion on this issue as well.

I think everything has to do with the culture.

Last edited by LuisRodg (2008-02-28 11:43:36)

Identity

Member

Registered: 2007-04-18

Posts: 934

Re: Chinese students are more intelligent

Maths is a far more methodical thing than English, so with practice, you will see more results. But I don't think any chinese parent would seriously harm their child for coming back with a bad report, because they want the best for their only child. I pretty much don't get pressured at all by my parents, but if I do badly I will be disappointing them, so I work hard so that will never happen.

Hey here's a hypothetical question,

In the future, if China becomes a rich nation and all the kids can afford laptops and video games, will educational standards decrease? Are these educational standards the result of economics or philosophy?

George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Chinese students are more intelligent

I think in terms of Arithmetrics, here is the advantage:

1 Yi
2 Err
3 San
4 S~/s/
5 Woo
6 Lyou
7 Tsi 
8 Ba
9 Jyow

Chinese words for figures are much shorter and thus easier to master than those of the English language

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X'(y-Xβ)=0

George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Chinese students are more intelligent

Even though I am poor at Arithemetrics, here I found I am excellent among westerners.

I guess it has sth to do with the language

365

Th'ree hun'dre'd an'd si'x'ty fi've -12 positions of the mouths

San Bai Ly'ou Shi Wu -6 positions of the mouths

("Bai" means hundred, and "Shi" means ten)

If you happen to read the number in silent, you will notice how much faster a Chinese speaker can absorb the number than an English speaker.

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X'(y-Xβ)=0

George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Chinese students are more intelligent

"will educational standards decrease? "

Well I really found the Maths part of Japan's College Entrance Examination tough when I was excellent in high school in China.

Part of Culture, part of Language.

The debacle is, China don't have excellent college Education as Americans and Europeans do.

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X'(y-Xβ)=0

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,711

Re: Chinese students are more intelligent

I didn't know that about your numbers ... it does seem easier to say.

But I see "365" and think "3","6","5" (also "days in year") ... I could also say it "three sixty five"

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Chinese students are more intelligent

Got it.

Once I asked the price, someone said two ninety-nine.

I was overjoyed- 3 dollars?

No, 2 hundred and ninety-nine.

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X'(y-Xβ)=0