Comments on: Day 1: Strengthen the richest liberal arts standards in the nation http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/news/day-1-strengthen-the-richest-liberal-arts-standards-in-the-nation/ Public Policy Research Tue, 08 May 2012 20:17:19 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Christian Liberal Arts University http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/news/day-1-strengthen-the-richest-liberal-arts-standards-in-the-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-4951 Christian Liberal Arts University Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:02:35 +0000 http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/?p=2557#comment-4951 Thanks for the interesting post. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to more in the future. Thanks for the interesting post. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to more in the future.

]]> By: James http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/news/day-1-strengthen-the-richest-liberal-arts-standards-in-the-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-4933 James Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:30:29 +0000 http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/?p=2557#comment-4933 I laud the goals but question the methods, particularly for language learning. Testing is an important component of checking a system, but it is not education. Standards based assessments for foreign languages are particularly ill-suited to encouraging better learning. Take the Chinese education system for example. Every Chinese student must begin learning English in elementary school, and testing provides the core incentives and goal. As a result, most students who do not have their English language learning supplemented in some better way come away with rudimentary written English skills and discomfort speaking. I am amazed at what my friends' children in public schools in China are expected to do in English classes. It is the wrong way to learn. I laud the goals but question the methods, particularly for language learning.

Testing is an important component of checking a system, but it is not education. Standards based assessments for foreign languages are particularly ill-suited to encouraging better learning.

Take the Chinese education system for example. Every Chinese student must begin learning English in elementary school, and testing provides the core incentives and goal. As a result, most students who do not have their English language learning supplemented in some better way come away with rudimentary written English skills and discomfort speaking. I am amazed at what my friends’ children in public schools in China are expected to do in English classes. It is the wrong way to learn.

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