You must be thinking: "Three posts in a week, what's going on?" A sudden burst of energy - it will probably never happen again.
The last few days have been windy and cold. Maximum temperatures of +2 and +3C. Today it's sunny and calm, forecast max of 6C - positively balmy!
My post today is about a special teaching activity, and a bit more on the American political system, following the comment in the post on 1 December about the very low turn-out rate in the recent Mid-term election.
Love poems with International Trade theme
Recently a former student reminded me of an unusual activity I organised with her class last year. The background is as follows.
I am always on the look-out for new activities which can make the Oral English classes more interesting. On 21 May 2013 I saw an article in the China Daily titled “Science students calculate formulas for love” describing how
science students at Fudan University in Shanghai held a competition to compose
short love poems with a science theme.
What a novel idea.
At that time I was teaching two classes of International
Trade majors (sophomore classes 1101 and 1102) and I challenged them to do the same,
but using international trade terms such as CIF (cost, insurance &
freight); FOB (free on board); FAS (free alongside ship); FCA (free carriage);
DDP (delivered duty paid); WTO (World Trade Organisation).
.
My criteria for the love poems: 3 lines; maximum 15
words; international trade theme.
Some of the more interesting compositions are shown in Table 1 below.
The China Daily published a story about our version of the Fudan
University contest. You will see that in
the article the journalist called it a 'wacky idea’, but I prefer to think
of it as creative and innovative. What do you think?
To see the China Daily story, click HERE or follow this link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-07/05/content_16737867.htm .
The
students certainly enjoyed doing something different, related to their major, and, of course,
they are always interested in anything to do with LOVE.
Table 1: Poems by
students in International Trade classes 1101 and 1102
CIF
(Cost, insurance & freight)
|
|||
Casually
I met you and
Fell in love
|
Convict
If you want to be
Free, go!
|
Come here my darling
I will give you all my love
Forever.
|
|
Coffee is lonely without a cup
I am lonely without you
Forge everlasting love.
|
Can
I love you
Forever?
|
Come to my heart
I will hug you
Falling in love.
|
|
FOB
(Free on board)
|
|||
For me
Only one thing I know
Be my girl.
|
First time I saw you
“Oh my god” I thought
Because had I found my angel.
|
Forever
Our love will go on and on
Boy, be mine.
|
|
FCA
(Free carriage)
|
|||
First time I met you
Calling your name in my heart
At that moment I fell in love.
|
Find you amazing
Crazy in love
Absolutely.
|
||
FAS
(Free alongside ship)
|
|||
Falling in love with you
Alone
Searching for you in my dreams.
|
First time I saw you
Appealing to my soul
Say you love me, please.
|
||
DDP
(Delivered duty paid)
|
|||
Darkness or
Dawn?
Please re-assure me.
|
|||
General
(with trade theme)
|
|||
FOB, CIF,
FAS, WTO All those crazy
acronyms Now part of my DNA.
|
You are the buyer
FOB, CIF, FAS, whatever
My heart is yours.
|
My love for you
Is like China’s trade
Forever growing.
|
|
...
Western Culture classes
We have just completed Week 13 of this semester. In my Western (really, American) Culture classes I have covered the following topics: Geography; Economy; History; Political system; and Religion.
I regard these as the foundations of a culture or society.
Before now moving on to a myriad of "Way of Life" topics (such as cars, sport, pets, etc) last week we had a "review" class to catch our breath and look back at what we have covered. I summarised the lectures so far, and then answered written questions.
Most of the questions related to religion and to the American political system. Table 2 shows selected questions:
Table 2: Selected questions posed by students in the review class last week
Theme
|
Question
|
Religion
|
Isn’t there a fundamental conflict between science and
religion? Americans are smart and technologically advanced, yet many believe in
religion. Why?
|
According to surveys, the proportion of American adults
who say they are Christians has fallen from 86% in 1990 to 73% in 2012, and
during the same period the proportion who say they have no religion has
increased from 8% to 19%. Why this
trend? Will it continue? Do you think
that one day only a few Americans will follow religion, same as in China?
|
|
Christianity has one God, but Buddhism and Hinduism have
many. Why this fundamental difference?
|
|
What actual difference does religion make to a person’s
life?
|
|
What are the key differences between the beliefs of the
Catholic Church and the main Protestant Churches?
|
|
Political system
|
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of the
American political system (the 3 branches of government, with checks &
balances)?
|
How do politics affect a person’s daily life in America?
|
|
Which do you think is better: the American political
system, or China’s?
|
|
I watched the TV series “House of Cards”. It shows system based on ambition and greed.
How true is it? Could someone really
kill opponents for political gain?
|
|
Only 36% voted in the recent mid term elections. How can the Congress elected say it
represents the whole country?
|
|
War
|
Some people say that America’s main motivation in getting
involved in wars such as WW2 and Iraq was to boost its economy. What do you think?
|
In the American Civil War, was there conscription or did
people volunteer to join the Northern and Southern armies?
|
|
Economy
|
Comparing the Global Financial Crisis (2007-9) and the Great Depression (1929-39), what were the
main differences and similarities?
|
What were the main reasons for the rapid development of
the American economy in the 1800s?
|
|
China has a much longer history than America, but America is stronger economically. Why? Is there any benefit
in having a long history?
|
- Double the term of House of Representatives, from 2 to 4 years.
- Introduce mandatory voting for all citizens over 18 years of age.
- Change some of the "checks & balances", eg exempt Executive appointments from Senate approval
- Mandatory retirement of Supreme Court Justices at 80.
- Restrict donations to political parties.
- Change the system of electing the President, from Electoral College to popular vote.
Year of election
|
Winner (became President) / loser
|
Popular
votes (millions)
|
States
won
|
Electoral
College votes
|
1824
|
ADAMS / Jackson
|
0.11 / 0.15
|
7 / 12
|
84 / 99
|
1876
|
HAYES / Tilden
|
4.03 / 4.29
|
21 / 17
|
185 / 184
|
1888
|
HARRISON / Cleveland
|
5.44 / 5.53
|
20 / 18
|
233 / 168
|
2000
|
BUSH / Gore
|
50.46 / 51.00
|
30 / 20 + DC
|
271 / 266
|
The intrepid travellers
What's happening with the Roberts family as they wend their way around Australia?
Their latest post (today) has them at Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly corner of Western Australia. Click HERE or check out Robertstour2014.wordpress.com
 |
| Cape Leeuwin the most south-westerly point of WA. It is named after the Leeuwin ('Lioness') a Dutch ship which surveyed this area in 1622, Mathew Flinders passed here in 1801 and nearby Flinders Bay is named after him. |
 |
| A more detailed view of the south-western corner of WA. They have had some wet and cool weather. Jen became quite maudlin in her blog, because Cape Leeuwin is where they "turn left" and head back towards the East Coast. The family has been travelling for 4 months, and have a month to go. They will have Xmas in Adelaide and then it's back home to Brisbane. |
 |
| Cape Leeuwin is considered the "border" of the Indian and Southern Oceans. The impressive Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse was built in 1895. |
 |
| Tom trying out his new surf board at Bunker Bay. |
...
OK, that's it for this post.
Best wishes. Keep well and keep smiling.
Alex & Vera Olah
English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao
www.upc.edu.cn
Saturday, 6 December 2014
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