Aug 29, 2011
American student answers test question in Chinese
The translation shows the student answered the question just like the teacher wanted…
My life here is terrible. Work environment is not great and benefits are little. But don’t worry, everyday only about 10 people are seriously injured and I’m very careful. We opened a small shop, business isn’t bad. Although I don’t understand very much English, but I can still understand what white men say. Hopefully we can become successful, I will work hard and take care of myself.
Are you guys well? Miss you very much, hope to see you again.
(via Reddit)
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This is kind of funny, but confusing, because it actually looks a lot like homework assignments I had for my Chinese language classes in college…
Awesome! Reminds me of the time one of my professors in college declared that he always, ALWAYS found grammatical mistakes in students’ work, and that he would certainly find some in mine.
So I handed in my paper written entirely in Portuguese. There may have been grammatical mistakes, but he certainly wouldn’t be able to find them.
Love all your daily postings! Though I’m confused on how this is funny…looks like the question ( i.e. you are to assume the role of a Chinese immigrant in 1870…) is asking the test taker to answer in Chinese…also, judging by the swift handwriting (my first language is Chinese), I’ll bet all my money that this student is not (native born) American.
If the teacher expected the students to answer in Chinese, why is the question written in English?
But if the Chinese isn’t in English, why isn’t it an answer?
Because it is a Chinese class, therefore the instructions would be in English, the language the class is given in. At most colleges few language courses go for the immersion tactic.
Agreed, This does look exactly like the kind of foreign language assignments you’d get in college. Maybe Chinese 102.
The question is, what did he receive as a grade?
I swear this is the exact assignment my teacher gave me a few years ago in 8th grade Social Studies. Wish I’d thought of that…
yeah it looks more like a history question, than an actual language question… second language classes ask questions like, what did you do today?, and to describe your summer vacation…stuff like that. i doubt that a chinese language professor would ask someone to speak of an 1870′s chinese immigrants experience… seeing as how to learn the language this information is unnecessary. Just my opinion, though :)
Like Theresa, I’m almost sure this is written by someone who grew up writing Chinese, or at least has studied a long time, not someone who typed what they wanted to say into google translate and just copied the answer.