Lesson 1 Education
Comparing American and Chinese Parents
I'm Mario Ritter with the VOA Special English Education Report
Some American parents
might think their children need better educations to compete with China and
other countries. But how much do the parents themselves need to change? A new
book called "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua has caused
a debate about cultural differences in parenting.
Ms. Chua is a professor at the Yale Law School
in New Haven, Connecticut, and the mother of two daughters. She was raised in
the American Midwest by immigrant Chinese parents. In the Chinese culture, the
tiger represents strength and power. In her book, Ms. Chua writes about how she
demanded excellence from her daughters. For example, she threatened to burn her
daughter's stuffed animals unless she played a piece of music perfectly. She
would insult her daughters if they failed to meet her expectations.
Ms. Chua says she had a clear list of what her daughters, Sophia and
Louisa, were not permitted to do. They could not attend a sleepover, have a
play date, watch TV or play computer games, be in a school play or get any
grade less than an A.
Many people have
criticized Amy Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive. She even
admits that her husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes objected to her
parenting style. But she says that was the way her parents raised her and her
three sisters. Ms. Chua makes fun of her own extreme style of parenting. She
says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and
shouted "I hate my life! I hate you!" Ms. Chua says she decided to
retreat when it seemed like there was a risk that she might lose her daughter.
But she also says
American parents often have low expectations of their children's abilities. She
says: "One of the biggest differences I see between Western and Chinese
parents is that Chinese parents assume strength rather than fragility."
Stacy
DeBroff has written four books on parenting. She says the debate over Ms.
Chua's book has to do with two questions. What does it mean to be a successful
parent, and what does it mean to be a successful child? Ms. DeBroff says Amy
Chua's parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. She says it
represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better
future for their children. But she also sees a risk. When children have no time
to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other
skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacey DeBroff advises parents to
develop their own style of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised. And that's the
VOA Special English Education Report. What are your thoughts about parenting
styles and cultural differences? Tell us at voaspecialenglish.com or on
Facebook at VOA Learning English. For VOA Special English, I'm Mario Ritter.
Answer these questions using your own words:
1.
Why was Ms. Chua so strict
with her daughters?
2.
Why did she change?
3.
What is the difference between
Chinese and Western parents?
4.
What are the two questions of
the debate, according to DeBroff?
Find synonyms to the words
below:
strength sucessful play style grade abilities expectations
show____________
force ____________
mark ____________
hopes ____________
Roleplay:
Parent and child: act out with your partner a
situation between a parent and child (discussing the time to be back home on
Friday nights, for example)
