Assignment 1

To: Mr Chua Tji Leng
From: CHON KHOON FONG, S10062175E
Name of programme: Overseas Immersion Programme, Wuhan, China, Wuhan University of Science and Technology
Subject: My Learning Plan
Date: 20 March 2009
1. Learning Objective
The aim for me for this trip is to get to know more friends from China, to know the cultures of this country and to gain more knowledge of China geography through real life experiences. Therefore, at the end of this trip I hope I can answer or will be familiar with some of the histories of Wuhan, China. Before going to this trip, I have already know some history of China such as the battle between Cao Cao and Zhu Ge Liang, Zhu Ge Liang is better in military strategise because he can read the weather also about the history of Kang Xi. Therefore, I went here I want to find out the stories behind the three gorges, how China people manage to build lots of things I would like to experience like farming and many of their gestures too. My parents used hard earn money to pay for the cost of this trip and this motivates me to learn more, I would not want to pay that much and learn nothing at the end of this trip and also the teachers motivate me to learn more as they describe more about this country China and Wuhan. I would like to return to China again in future to do business here as I get to know more people and use the knowledge on how the China people operate their businesses.
2. Focus of Inquiry
The focus of this trip is to get to know and understand the inner sides and gestures of the people here. I choose this area as only through real life experiences then you can deepen your knowledge about the cultures and gestures. In order to set up a business here, I must first find out their cultures and thus to start communication with them; through this I can also know how “cunning” a China businessman can be, to be so successful. Additionally, the history of Wuahan I can always research online but the actions and cultures I must experience it. Moreover, electronics stuffs I can always research and in Ngee Ann we have already study a little of it.
3. Questions for Investigation
What inner side or gestures or cultures you want to know? How different is their cultures from Singapore? Do you prefer their cultures or Singapore cultures? In your opinion, what do think of these gestures, will it help you in your future? Which one is your favourite culture and you would like to experience it again in future? Do you think knowing all this cultures during this period is enough to you to use in future? Why?
4. Development of Global skill
The three global skills I want to improve on are willingness to take initiative, willingness to take risks and curiosity about other cultures. Firstly, I have hesitated to choose willingness to take initiative because I am shy and timid. I feared I cannot manage the tasks. However, I chose this because in China everyone is new to this environment only by taking initiative to volunteer then you will learn and experience new things. Secondly, I have chosen willingness to take risks because in Singapore when you want to try new stuffs with a little riskiness your parents will not allow, Iwe are known as “the flower in the greenhouse “cannot go out of it, so going to a new environment without parents around I hope and willing to take risks to learn and experience new stuffs. Subsequently, I have chosen the curiosity about other cultures, in order to know China cultures are already very difficult. China is so big. There are more than a thousand of ethnic groups. In order to know one of it is already so difficulty what is more saying about every single one. Therefore, I would like to know their cultures one by one each time I go different parts of China. Also, in future knowing their cultures will help me a lot if I am to set up a business here.
5. Learning Strategies
Firstly, I will research using internet and go library. Before I reached Wuhan, China I will have some research in the library on the cultures which is the surface of the China, then I will use internet find and dig into the deeper side of the China by reading China people blogs. Secondly, after I reached Wuhan, I will go out more often especially take more public transport to see what the people do or their action in the public. Also, through interaction programme with the students here, I can ask them those questions about the life here and we can have home visits too. Lastly, is to listen to the tour guide or the cultural informants when they were on the bus taking us touring around Wuhan and also touring around we are actually trying new experiences.