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

I have studied in UK for almost two years. The study life here in UK is not easy and there are
always challenges. Especially in the first few months, I spent a lot of time getting used to a
totally different life. The most challenging thing is the language. Before I came here I was
quite confident of my English, because I had learned English for more than eight years.
Besides, I did well in most of the English exams in school. Yet, after being here and
surrounded by the language – English, I realized how poor my English was. It was very
difficult to make myself understood. Poor pronunciation was one of the reasons; however, the
most important reason was that according to my classmates, my English was outdated. Some
usages rarely appeared in today‘s English, only being used in the old times. This fact
reminds me of the English education in China. The resources we used in teaching hardly get
updated. The same version of the textbook would have been used for years. That is why I was
able to use my elder cousin‘s textbooks and did not need to buy new books. Moreover, the
proficiency in English is measured by exams rather than the ability to use the language. The
eight years I spent learning English have been wasted on taking exams, because I only
focused on the things that could help me do better in exams, such as grammar practice.
Therefore, I have never thought about how to use the language and had the feeling that exam
is not the purpose of learning the language. Now after living in an English context, I find that
‗you have never learned a language until you can use it in communication‘.
Apart from the language problem, cultural difference is another challenging issue in my
study, and is generally impossible to overcome in a short period. A lack of the basic cultural
background makes it more difficult for me to understand the lesson. For example, in Stylistics
class there are many cultural references such as a joke or some special connotations of
words which confuse me a lot. The most difficult part is to do stylistic analysis in essays and
tests.
Despite the difficulties mentioned above, I enjoy the study here very much. The teaching style
is more relaxing. There are more interactions between the teachers and the students. Asking
questions is encouraged any time in class. The relationship between the teachers and the
students seems to be more equal. You can disagree with the teachers and even argue with
them. They are willing to discuss different opinions rather than only give the ―correct‖
answer. ‗There is no correct answer‘ is what I have heard a lot. Besides, the classes are
small and everyone can get a chance to speak. This is very different from the way we have
classes in China. Our classes are big and the teachers are supposed to talk most of the time.
The students hardly have chance to speak out their opinions. We get used to listening to the
teachers and making notes. Even now I do not have much courage to speak in class but I
have tried to push myself to join the discussion. I can see that I am making progress and feel
freer to speak in front of the teacher and classmates.
It is nearly the end of my university life. Most of my friends are planning to continue their
study but I will go back to China to find a job. Over eighteen years of study in school is quite
enough for me now. Sometimes I feel that I have been cut off from society because of
spending too much time in school. It is time to get back in step with society and get some
social experience. For the past years to get a good mark in exams has been the goal that I
worked hard on. Now I want to find a new and more meaningful purpose in life for myself.
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