Zhang Heng is in Grade 2 at Number 1 High School in Baiyin in Gansu Province, China. Heng participated in IREX’s summer journalism program with students from AHS. He sat down with The A-Blast to talk about his study skills and his knowledge of The U.S.
Q.) What do you want to take away from this camp?
A.) [I want to develop] communication skills with American friends in this camp.
Q.) Is learning about Americans and the United States important to you and your family?
A.) Yes, [it] is important to my parents [for me] to know about [the United States] because it is the biggest country [and] the most powerful. Also, because the culture is very open, [learning about the US] is more helpful for us to open our minds to the world.
Q.) Do you learn a lot about the United States in school?
A.) Yes, all students must learn a lot, [because] we take an American history test.
Q.) Do you think it is fair to test US history?
A.) Yes. Half of the [World history test] is about China, half [is about] the world, and 1/3 [of the test on the world] is about the United States.
Q.) How do you prepare for the US history test?
A.) [I prepare by] memorizing the text and reading the textbook over and over. Its terrible.
Q.) If you could make changes to the way you are taught, what would you change?
A.) [I would like] more discussions and more reading materials.
Q.) What do your textbooks teach about the United States?
A.) [The textbooks teach] US history, government, and politics.
Q.) Do your textbooks compare your government and society to the United States’ government and society?
A.) No, [our books] just say what happened. [There is] no judgment. [The books cover] just what influenced our world history.
