ELAR Practice Question

Read the following text and then use evidence to answer the question:

"The Differences in Teaching Style In Asia, the education system stresses more on the input from teachers. They are expected to rule the classroom, and students must listen to them with barely any interaction. A typical Asian class has a teacher providing all the study materials and students receive these materials without discussing them with their classmates. On the contrary, the Western education system is student-centered. It allows interaction between classmates, in the form of a group discussion or other types of engaging activities. With regard to teaching concepts, the Asian way is to have students memorize information. Teachers expect students to read their textbooks and memorize their contents so that they can answer their tests correctly. On the other hand, the Western way is more relaxed. Rather than memorizing information, teachers let students take their time in learning a concept. They require students to do their own research and share their personal views, instead of simply accepting what’s written in textbooks. The teaching tactics in Asian schools may suffer disapproval from the West, but statistical data show shocking results. Students from Asian schools turn out to have higher standardized testing scores than their Western counterparts. Their math and science subjects are more advanced than those in Western schools. In fact, American students lag behind 31 countries in math, and behind 16 countries in reading proficiency. Despite its strict nature, the Asian education system is earning favor from some Western countries, particularly the UK. In 2016, the UK Schools Standards Minister revealed that many primary schools in the country would use the teaching style used by the Chinese. But on the flip side, the Chinese seem impressed by the English-style of teaching, too. In 2016, Wymcobe Abbey opened a sister school in Changzhou Province. Harrow, Dulwich College, Malvern, and Wellington already opened branches in China’s major cities, too, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu."

Based on the text you read, what is the major difference between how students are taught in American schools and Asian schools?

Write a well-organized informational composition that uses specific evidence from the article to support your answer. Remember to — • clearly state your controlling idea • organize your writing • develop your ideas in detail • use evidence from the selection in your response • use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar