2nd Asia-Pacific Educational Integrity Conference
Abstract
Success, aptitude and learning strategies --- exploring the different understandings in the Western and Eastern cultures
Yang Yunbao - La Trobe University
The long standing misconceptions of Western researchers in relation to the “rote-learning” of Chinese learners are derived from on insufficient understanding of Chinese culture. This article provides a different perspective on “rote-learners”. “Learning success”, “aptitude” and “learning strategies” in learning English as a language are discussed in relation to different concepts of factors influencing achievement.
Different cultures may have different interpretations of these areas and different interpretations are possible depending on whether the language is treated as a foreign language or as a second language. In order to further understand these areas, related issues such historical background, the origins of people’s perspectives and their influences in their cultures are explored. In this paper I argue that cultural differences are a significant element in understanding “aptitude”, “learning strategies” and “learning success”. I compare these three aspects in the two cultures in the two areas of “Western” and “Eastern” culture.Keywords: Culture, success, learning strategy, aptitude.
