The American School of Taichung and the Boys & Girls Club in Tennessee have been actively exchanging information about personal and school life. Virtual letters and questions, as well as hand written letters, have been passed back and forth for the students to understand life and culture on a deeper level from countries on the other side of the world. Students have been engaged in art projects to send to their partners. These projects have included self portraits, character selected portraits, and city/landscapes. More detailed conversations about home and school life have aided the students in getting to know each other. Both US and Taiwan students have shown great interest in the other countries. Excitement fills the air when students await a package or email arrival. Stimulated conversation and additional questions continue through classes. Students have also taken pride in their work and want to do their best when sending along completed projects.
-Kathryn Stoerzbach on behalf of American School Taichung
Here is a look at a conversation between students:
Taiwan (question)/Tennessee (answer):
1) Do you use elevators frequently?
We said mostly yes. We do not have them at our schools. Some schools that have two levels have them, though.
2) Do you read 20 minutes at home after school ?
Sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t. These are the answers of our members: “No time, I don’t.” “I read a whole book” “I read 7 pages.” “ I read 3 or 4 chapters”
4) What do you do during holidays? At school and at home?
In December we have Winter Holidays. In December we start practicing for plays, sports and other activities in school. We have a break for two weeks. At home we celebrate with our families. During the break we go outside and play in snow. We go on vacation and go to Florida and play video games.
5) What do you play at school?
We play tag, football, hide and seek, basketball, soccer, kickball, swing, slide, climb monkey bars, rock climbing and field trips. We like to go outside to play. Five member likes to play in the rain.
7) Do you like your school?
Some members do and some members don’t.
Likes:
Learning, math, science, social studies, lunch, recess, playground, multiplication
Dislikes:
Learning, math, reading, grammar, social studies, division, multiplication, some lunches, bullying
8) What activities do you at recess?
Tag, Dodgeball, Football, Basketball, Slide, softball, monkey bars, tetherball, make believe games, play school, world map, cleaning up playground, watch videos,
When it rains… we play games inside or play on computer.
9) Do you celebrate holidays in your schools?
Some we do, some we don’t. Some we celebrate in both. For Thanksgiving we have a luncheon IN school and we also celebrate with our families.
10) Do you wear slippers (house shoes) in your home?
Yes we do, but not all of us. Some families wear no shoes. We wear our shoes inside but we take them off and sometimes switch shoes.
11) What do you usually do during the after school program?
We arrive at 3 pm and go to the lunch room.
Then we go to Advisory Group and hear about the day
Then we go to our areas. We switch every hour. Our options are: Tech Lab (computers) Arts and Crafts, Games Room (pool, video games, blocks, dress-up, draw, marbles), Homework Room, Gym, and we have clubs in the education room.
12) What is your daily routine?
Wake up, Get dressed/brush hair, Brush Teeth, put on shoes, , eat breakfast, get backpack, go to school (by bus or car or walking), school all day, then Boys and Girls Club and then home – eat dinner and go to bed. Some of us take a shower before bed.
13) Do you like origami?
YES! We LOVE it!
14) In your school are there special lunch days?
Yes. For Thanksgiving we had a luncheon and parents and friends could come. Some days we have pink tortillas (for breast cancer awareness). Sometimes they dress the food up for holidays.
Next Tuesday we will start writing you our pen pal letters! Can you send us some origami and candy? What can we send you?
Answers to YOUR questions: Tennessee (question)/Taiwan (answer)
1. What languages do you speak at home? Do you know any other languages? Can you teach
us?
9 Chinese speakers
12 English speakers
1 Korean speaker
1 French speaker
1 Hebrew speaker
1 Dutch speaker
Each student is bilingual if not trilingual.
2. Do you wear shoes? If not, why?
Yes we do even when we are in our houses. We cannot wear outside shoes inside so
we change to indoor slippers. This is a must. Taiwanese parents do NOT like dirty feet
anywhere.
3. Please tell us more about your games and please show us pictures or video of you playing it so
we can learn!
Dafuwang is a Chinese version of monopoly. We will think and choose a game to take a video of.
4. Do you eat other strange food besides squid?!
Yes we do! One is called stinky tofu; this is fermented tofu. Pig’s blood. Octopus legs.
Many different weird food. But they aren’t weird to us since we grow up with them and you
can find them every day in the markets.
5. What does honey tea and squid taste like?
Squid tastes chewy and more bland. It doesn’t have much of a taste. We can add wasabi
or other flavors to put with it. Honey tea tastes like tea with honey.
6. What does Taiwan look like?
It is shaped like a leaf. It is a very small small island on the West coast of China. It used to
be called Formosa with by the Dutch.
7. Do you have a playground? What does it look like?
It looks like a playground set with a slide, monkey bars, and basketball court. It is
surrounded by the Jungle and a small creek on one side. We have fences up so our balls
don’t fly out.
8. What is a typical day at school like for you?
The teacher is always rushing us to finish do lots of work. Get to school, play on the
playground, math, English, science, lunch, specials (ART, MUSIC, PE) silent reading,
Chinese class.
9. Do you have homework? Daycare? Cars?
Yes we have homework. Not a lot though and never on Fridays. We do have daycares but
they aren’t used a lot. Grandparents usually take care of babies and small children until
they are school age. We all have cars and there are many many scooters. The streets are
filled on the sides with scooters that rush to the front of the line. They are alongside of the
cars.
10. What do you sit on in class?
Normal chairs. At times we can choose to do work on the floor or sit on a pillow to read.
11. What animals and pets do you have in Taiwan?
PETS:
Turtle
Dog
Rabbit
Sugar glider
Birds
Cat
Fish
Frogs
Crabs
Snakes
ANIMALS:
Monkey
Squirrels
Birds
Scorpion
Boar
Sheep
Pigs
Tasmania honey badger
Cow
