I heard you were teaching English over there.Tell me about it . Did you like it ?
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user
Oh , yes , it was very interesting .
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assistant
What were the schools like ?
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user
Oh , I didn't actually teach in the schools . I taught after school . I taught in English institutes .
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assistant
But you taught children , yes ?
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user
Yes . That's right.But children in Taiwan are very different from children in America.At least as far as studying is concerned.Many children in Taiwan go to special institutes after school .
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assistant
They actually study after school ?
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user
That's right.After their school day is over , they go to a special institute to study math or English.They are very serious about learning over there .
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assistant
Hmm . That sounds pretty oppressive for the kids . Don't they ever relax ?
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user
Of course they do.You know , Eliza , before I went over there I thought the same thing . I thought that maybe kids in Taiwan study too much.But now that I've worked there , and taught them , I feel it is a good thing.Their parents are very concerned about their education . More than American parents are . And that is good . American kids don't study enough .
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assistant
Asian cultures value learning very much . I know that .
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user
So it was interesting for me to see parents very concerned about education.They would come to me after the class and ask how their son or daughter was doing . I don't think that's a bad thing . I think it's a good thing.In America , too many parents don't pay attention .
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assistant
But aren't the kids tired out ? I mean , they go to school all day , and then they go to school in the evening too .
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user
As an English teacher , I tried to make the lessons as fun as possible . I tried to have a good time with my classes . The students often enjoyed it.And if the students enjoyed it , they learned more . So it was a good experience .
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assistant
Are the kids in Taiwan very obedient ?
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user
That's a stereotype we Americans have.We think that Asian kids are very obedient and quiet.But it's not true . There are plenty of naughty kids too .
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assistant
Hmm . I know you taught in Costa Rica also.Which did you like better--Costa Rica or Taiwan ?
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user
I don't know . In Costa Rica , I taught adults.So it was a very different thing . So I really can't compare .
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assistant