The challenge of academic writing for Chinese students within ...

Chinese education values / underlining purpose of education
Education has been valued highly in China since ancient times. Education is regarded by
many people as a major approach to not only personal development and but also upward
social mobility. Respect for the educated and learning has been ‗an outstanding characteristic
of the Chinese civilization‘ (Lin, 1998, p.76). The educated are greatly respected and revered
by the society. The educated represent authoritative articulation, and inspire a large
magnitude and generation after generation to come. The educated with expertise in a
particular field or multi-fields are much sought after in today‘s employment markets. Every
year the majority of students after finishing their secondary schools take the National College
Entrance Examination (Gaokao) for admissions to higher education. Having a degree is no
longer competitive in today‘s employment markets in China. For better job prospects
graduates opt for further education. Studying abroad has increasingly become a popular
choice of many graduates of secondary school and of university/college with the intention of
maximizing their employment opportunities. The importance of education originated from
ancient Chinese tradition and culture. The character – Xue (learning) appeared in The
Analects 65 times, which shows the great importance Confucius placed on learning.
The value of education for personal development and self-enjoyment is less emphasized and
voiced in today‘s China. However it was widely advocated in traditional times and was
deeply rooted in Confucian ideology. The Analects 5 opens its chapters by introducing
Confucius‘ ideas of learning – ‗To learn and at due times to repeat what one has learnt, is that
not after all a pleasure‘ ( 学 而 时 习 之 , 不 亦 说 乎 ) (The Analects I.I) which stress the
personal joy of learning. Confucius felt enormous affection for learning and valued the
delight of learning. In The Analects, he emphasized learning or education first and foremost
as personal enjoyment. For Confucius learning is something one should take great pleasure
in; personal fulfilment is obtained when learning becomes an enjoyment. In ‗He who knows
the truth [knowledge] is not equal to him who loves it, and he who loves it is not equal to him
who delights in it.‘ ( 知 之 者 不 如 好 之 者 , 好 之 者 不 如 乐 之 者 ) (The Analects VI .XX), Confucius
shows the difference between knowing the knowledge, loving the knowledge and finding the
5 Quotations used herein are from the following translated versions of the Analects: W.E. Soothill (1910) The
Analects of Confucius, London: Oxford University Press, p.309; A. Waley (2001) The Analects, New York:
Everyman‘s library. The Chinese original is given when this may be useful to the reader.
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