December 1, 2010 Volume 13 No.3
The ESOL Ambassador The ESOL Ambassador is a semi-annual publication of the Sylvania ESOL Department. Material is submitted by teachers from all levels of the program. Subscriptions: The ESOL Ambassador is distributed to various individuals and departments at PCC. IF you wish to receive issues regularly, please contact Sarah Bailie at ESOL 219 or by email at
[email protected]. Edited by: Sarah Bailie Artwork by: Shouka Kyo Naomi Ito Jos Vaught Special thanks to: Patty Berger Elizabeth Cole Dominique Brillanceau Luciana Diniz Heather Dittmore Kristyn Kidney Claudia Nawaz John Sparks Tina Sparks Nancy Winbigler Banu Yaylali With special thanks to the Sylvania Print Center! 2
ESOL Fund In order for ESOL students to have better lives, including better jobs to earn more money, it is important for them to learn English. However, many ESOL students have financial problems. Sometimes these problems can prevent ESOL students from taking ESOL classes. The olive-green bracelets in CT 206 that say “ESOL Rocks My World” are part of a fundraising effort to raise money for the ESOL Fund. The snacks in the tutoring center are also part of this effort. The ESOL Fund provides money for non-credit ESOL students with financial difficulties. The fund can be used to pay for one non-credit class, one time.
Giving to the ESOL Fund There are three ways to donate to the ESOL Fund. The first way is best if you want to donate more than a few dollars. For larger donations, visit pcc.edu/foundation. Look for the words “Give Now.” Click on that link. Then, enter your information. Select “ESOL Fund.” You can claim a donation made through the PCC Foundation, the organization that handles scholarships and fundraising for PCC, among other things, on your taxes. The second way to donate is best for small amounts of money or if you are feeling hungry. In the ESOL tutoring center, CT 208, there is a snack bar and a donation can. Put a dollar or more in the can, and choose a delicious snack. Finally, the last way to donate money is to buy a fashionable olive-green bracelet which reads “ESOL Rocks My World!” You could buy one for you and one for your friends and family members. When you wear an ESOL bracelet you can look good and feel good too! Thank you to everyone who donated to the ESOL Fund! All donors’ names will be printed in the spring edition of The Ambassador. 3
Autumn at PCC
LiLin ESOL Level 3 Autumn in Portland is like Chinese ancient poetry: “when the autumn rain comes it is time for the phoenix tree leaves to fall down.” Even though this weather is very rainy, it can’t stop the love in the hearts of international students at PCC. In the Rose City, Portland, the people’s hearts are the same as flowers, they are so beautiful. ESOL fund action is to help students to buy their books and give them a new life. At the international talent show, all the international students used their talents. I am very glad I could host part of this show; also I used the Minnan dialect to sing about my city, Xiamen . I want to say: “thank you, my dear teacher, without you I couldn’t host in English today.” Love is in action; let us hold hands to help needy people. Let ESOL love continue forever
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PCC Sylvania’s Got International Talent! On November 15, PCC Sylvania held an International Talent Show co-hosted by ASPCC Sylvania, Sylvania ESOL Department, and the Office of International Education. Students from PCC Sylvania, including many students from the ESOL program, came to host the show, dance, sing, read poetry and play music for over a hundred audience members.
Thank you to all the people who performed in the talent show! Baharak Asefi Carlotta De Orbegoso Ella Fang Lucia Hernandez Naomi Ito Nari Kim Li Lin Tareq Mikha Daisy NganNguyen Cassy Nguyen Cindy Oh Ji Molly Osterkamp Doina Rotari Babak Shakeri Selina Shakya David Stout The Japan Group Lan To Uyen Tran Han Vo And a very special thanks to Ana Egues Villalba, Jannette Clay, and Keiichi Aoyama who helped to organize the show!
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Tareq Mikha Level 6 Writing
A Moment When Saying Goodbye
Hi is a very small word, but sometimes it means a lot. Here are some emotional feelings about ‘Hi.’ Oh…baby… Don’t say goodbye, That makes me cry As when bird fly, Trees start to cry,
Oh…baby... Don’t say goodbye, That makes me cry, As when moon says goodbye, Candles start to cry,
Oh...baby... Don’t say goodbye, That makes me cry When you say bye, Springs start to dry, Flowers start to die,
Oh…baby... Don’t say goodbye, That makes me cry, When tears drop, It hurts the eye, Thus you make me cry,
Oh…baby… Don’t say goodbye That makes me cry, As when streams start to dry, Jasmines start to die,
Oh...baby… Never ever say goodbye, Keep saying...Hi… That makes me fly, Into a wonderful blue sky.
. Mohammad Khordeghir ESOL Level 1 Iran My name is Mohammad. I am from Iran. I came to the U.S. three months ago. I am married. My wife’s name is Mansoreh. She works at a bank. Also, I have a daughter. She goes to school and studies English. She is in level 13 in school. She likes to play guitar. They are in Iran. I live alone in Oregon. I don’t see them. We call each other everyday by cell phone. I work for 7 or 8 hours everyday. I listen to the music of Iranian singers and like to listen to other music. I watch T.V., but I don’t understand everything. I am learning more English now. 6
Level 2: Fall 2010 Writing assignment: “How I Study at Home” Iris Matute Flores Honduras I like to watch programs in English at home. I also like studying a course in English. Its name is Primarosa. I like to study the website of my teacher John Sparks. I learn many things from it. When I do not understand something, I ask my husband. He is an American and he speaks Spanish. On Sunday morning, I go for two hours to study English in the library in Tualatin. I would like to learn English fast so I can meet many friends. __________________________________________________ Houda Hannach Morocco When I am at home, I study English two hours every day. First, I do my homework if I have it. Secondly, I read an English book to practice my reading and my pronunciation. Finally, I watch TV for fifteen minutes to practice my listening and learn more about American accents.
Alicia Aguilar Mexico I study with the book they give in school. I study listening on the Future 1 CD. I also use the computer to help me. I also study for spelling tests. I study in my workbook to help me understand English better. Those are the ways I study and use the dictionary for my homework. __________________________________________________ Narucha Plongbanjong Thailand I always study English on the internet because it has many web sites for learning. Sometimes I read English in a book. The book is from Thailand. It’s very good. But now I seldom study English on the internet or the book because my work is too long in a day, so there is no free time. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ Aliddin Tabani Libya My study plan at home goes as follows. First of all, I choose a quiet place to study. Secondly, I get or prepare something to drink, such as tea or hot chocolate. Then, I go through what I have taken in the class and translate some new words. After that, I do my homework.
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Mawrid Mohsin Iraq
Joochan Kim Korea
Every day I sit to study about 35 minutes. One, for 15 minutes, I sit at the computer and open my teacher, John Sparks’, web site and study grammar or tests. Two, for 20 minutes, I read short stories with my children. But on the weekend, I study one hour on Saturday because I want to be writing a weekly story to give to my teacher.
I live in a small apartment with my sister. I live in a very nice neighborhood. People are very kind in my neighborhood. There is a movie theater near my house. There are a lot of supermarkets and restaurants in my neighborhood, so it’s very convenient. My neighborhood is a great place to live. __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ Joochan Kim Korea
Alicia Aguilar Mexico
I study English because it’s important. I watch TV in English thirty minutes every day. I write new words in a notebook. I usually listen to pop songs. My father answers questions for me. My sister explains the grammar to me.
My neighborhood is friendly. It has lots of kids that always play outside. Some of the people have dogs and cats. Everybody goes to the laundromat to wash their clothes. Everybody on weekdays takes their children to the school bus. That’s how my neighborhood is.
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__________________________________________________ Narges Kashi Iran My neighborhood is very small. There are four houses. My house is near the main road. It is noisy. My house has good privacy. There are many trees around my house. We don’t have a pool in my neighborhood. __________________________________________________ Blanca Rodriguez Mexico
Level 2: Fall 2010 Writing assignment: “My Neighborhood”
When it is summer, my neighborhood is very enjoyable because we have many things to do. It is safe. People are friendly. Sometimes when my family has parties with music, there is a gentleman who does not like the music. He calls the police. Then the party ends.
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Level 4: Fall 2010 Writing Assignment “Holidays” Elba Alegria Level 4 Writing “La Semana Santa” La semana Santa or (Ester week) is a very important day for all the people in my country because we remember the passion of Christ. We make processions by the streets with many people carrying a plaster Christ on their shoulders. When we finish the procession everybody enjoys different foods and drinks like the traditional pescado ceco dried fish with tomato sauce. This is only one of the many different foods we eat. This week is to rest and enjoy the family all together traveling and enjoying the semana Santa. Oscar Cid Gomez Writing Level 4 5 de Mayo It is important day in my country because the French landed and invaded Mexico, in the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862. After the battle was over many French were killed. The Mexicans had won a great victory, after a hard year. Mexican people celebrate 5 de Mayo. It is a day off in Mexico. All Mexicans remember their Independence and families make traditional food for a special dinner. The city of Puebla has a big party every year. Schools, universities, army and community participate. All people eat traditional food and at night see special fireworks. Tae K. Yum Level 4 Writing
Holiday in My Country My country has many holidays. “Sui Nai” is a very special day for my country’s people. When I was young my whole family wore “Han Bok” traditional Korean clothes. I wear special clothes and I eat special food. This day is very important to Korean people because we always learn about traditional Korean culture. We talk about family history and the lives of our ancestors; we learn many things about the oldest people in our families. It’s a happy day for all Korean people. On this day many families give thanks to their ancestors because many ancestors made a lot of money and started their families. The people who made this day were our ancestors. They loved their families so much. Many Koreans celebrate “Sui Nai”. This day is very special for our people. On this day we have a good time with our families and people don’t work. I like this holiday because I have time for myself. Abdulmohsen Huscumi Level 4 Writing
Holiday in Islam There are many holidays in Islam, like Eid Alfeter, Eid Alfeter it comes after Ramadan. On this day people do many things, they have to go to pray at 5:00 AM, it could Salat al Eid. Salat means a pray. After that all of the men of the family sit together and visit many friends or another family, women sit together and they do the same what the men do. When they finish usually all of the family eats dinner together. On this day we have popular clothes we wear. The men were dishdah. Dishdah is a white dress in the summer and in the winter they wear black or any dark colors, for the women they don’t have any clothes that they must wear them. This is a very important day for Muslim people, it’s very interesting
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Humberto Rosas Ramos Level 4 Writing The Day of the Dead The Mayas started The Day of the Dead (dia de los muertos) to remember their loved ones. They prepare the graves with flowers for the celebration. Then they spend the whole day in the graveyard to honor their loved ones. They cook food that they like, they danced and pray. Until today they still celebrate this holiday. On the present day a few days before the celebration all the people being to prepare to buy food, fruits, flowers and candy in shape of skeletons. In some towns they spend one night at the cemetery and the rest of the day. Some altars should include a picture of the one being remembered, and items they were fond of like candles, flowers, and gifts. Most of the people could include pictures of saints or religious icons. Toy skeleton skulls of banners most of them are sugar skulls. Some people take up entire corners of their homes with Day of the Dead altars, others use a simple end table dressed up with fabric and other items. The point is size doesn’t really matter, what matters is the heart you put into it. Well, it’s a good experience for the kids and teenage. I remember that when I was a kid I had a lot of good memories. I was seven years old. I remember that one day mom had everything ready. She put an altar at our home and suddenly the fruit and candy were missing. And she ask me what happened and I told her that maybe my grandfather’s spirit came back to eat and everyone laughed. Anyway the purpose is to show children how the lives of people can be celebrated by remembering the lives of people that have died. To give them a connection to relatives or others they may no longer have with them and to mention death without fear.
Level 4: Fall 2010 Writing Assignment “Portland Advice” Monica Klenkova Writing Level 4 Dear Nataly, I’m very excited that you will come to Portland. I haven’t seen you for a long time. If you will come to the city, I will go with you downtown, and we will go shopping and we will do some interesting activities, you will see. I like Portland, it’s very beautiful. However, it rains a lot. I will be happy to help you with your questions. First, you should bring some clothes for rain because it is almost always raining here. You can buy many clothes here. You will be happy. In Portland there are very cheap clothes. Second, no, it isn’t hard to register for school. You just have to take a test and they tell you what classes you need to take. I will help you with them. It’s easy. Third, do you need a job? Well, I have an idea about where you can find work. I think PCC has jobs for students, but I don’t have a lot of information about it. I should try to ask somebody. Finally, you have to learn some words in English. It will be good for you. PCC has great teachers and they will teach you everything. My English was bad when I came here, and now I speak better. So don’t worry. I hope that you will enjoy all your time in Portland. See you soon. Yours, Monica 10
Writing Level 4 Olmer de Leon Martinez Dear Susan, Welcome to Portland! I’m very excited to see you. I will be happy to help you with your questions. First, the weather in Portland this time of year is cold. It’s probably going to snow, so you should bring warm clothes if you have them. If you don’t have any, you can buy some in Portland. Second, you can register for school in winter and it isn’t hard to get in. You have to take a test and the result of the test determines what levels you are going to take. The cost of school won’t be too expensive. Third, here in Portland there are many kinds of jobs where you can work without speaking much English. For example, you can work in a restaurant, a car wash or in construction. To practice your English before you leave you can read books in English, watch TV, and practice with your American friends. I hope all this information helps you. Sincerely, Olmer Young Kyung Lee Level 5 Writing Living with My Parents I live with my parents. It has many advantages. First, I can save money. If we live in our separate houses, we must pay for everything twice, as a result, the cost of living becomes higher. But we live together, so we can save money. Second, I came over the U.S. to study with my two sons. But I am not lonely, because I live with my parents. We take care of each other and spend time together, so I am not lonely even though my husband is not in the U.S. with us. In this context, my sons can have many chances to be loved by their grandparents. Third, I can share housework. There is a lot of housework such as cooking,
cleaning and doing laundry. My parents and I do the housework together. So I can have more free time to study. In conclusion, living with my parents has many advantages for me. Lan Ho Level 5 Writing My Beach
I was born and grew up in “the city of beaches.” Of course, the place I like the most is Mykhe Beach in my hometown. No one can deny that Mykhe Beach is so nice. If you go to the beach, you will be surprised at seeing its cleanliness. That’s why Forbes, the American economic magazine, has elected Mykhe Beach one of the most impressive beaches on the Earth. Lying on the soft sand bank, enjoying the clean beach and far away mountains, and breathing its pure air makes us feel more comfortable and forget many problems in life. For me, the beach looks like my best friend in life. Whenever I feel upset because of my studying or my daily life, I usually go to the beach and shout loudly. In a short time, my sorrows get caught along with its waves and go away. In brief, the beach is the most wonderful place in my mind.
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would be better to find out now. However, what is most important is to define if you are able to make this relationship something more serious and to know what you are looking for with it. Second, use many ways to communicate; don’t limit the relationship to e-mails or video calls since in all relationships it is important to make emotional connections. In these situations little details are more important, for example love letters, postcards, surprise visits, etc.
Alma Moreno Level 6 Academic Writing How to Make a Long Distance Relationship Work Even though long distance relationships are not new, the internet, phone calls and the ease that we currently have in traveling have contributed greatly to the number of these relationships increasing every day. To know if a long distance relationship is going to work or not, depends on confidence, communication (especially crucial), but more than anything on the interest of both individuals. Not everyone is made for a long distance relationship, as this not only involves the fact of frequently not being a couple, but also dealing with the uncertainty of a possible infidelity and fear that time and distance will end your love. However, if you are a dreamer and only remembering your lover makes you smile or hearing his voice makes you feel butterflies in your stomach, maybe you might take the risk and try these tips. Good luck!
Third, take advantage of the good things that a long distance relationship offers. Keep your individuality, amd spend time with family and friends. But more than anything, don’t argue over secondary things; on the contrary, enjoy the moments that you can spend with your love after a long absence. Finally, keep hope alive and be positive: Things are going to be better in time, so don’t focus on negative things in a long distance relationship and remember that distance is something temporary. The most important thing is to enjoy your relationship.
First, ask the important questions at the onset, to make sure you are both clear on the parameters of the relationship. It means, what kind of relationship do you have: Dating, boyfriend-girlfriend, engaged, etc? Furthermore, it is important to define if it is an exclusive relationship (limited to one person) or not because even if it is difficult to ask, it 12
Juliette Quintanar Level 6 Academic Writing Brave Women
This year , he has become the first philanthropist to help the city buy new arms and legs for disabled people. His behavior makes many people feel like he is a hero, and makes me want to help people more.
Ladies in White is a group of exceptional women. They are fighting for the political prisoners that we have in Cuba. Every Sunday they go to St. Rita’s Church in Havana, to pray for them, followed by a procession from the church to a nearby park. The white clothing they wear signifies peace. This group of women includes relatives and friends. Some of them are lawyers, teachers, doctors, journalists and housewives. Ladies in White have done the peaceful protests since 2003, and have defended the Human Rights of these prisoners ever since. This group of brave women only wants to be listened to throughout the world. Baharak Asefi Level 6 Academic Writing Master, Friend, Father
Lin Wang Level 6 Academic Writing Strong Warm Heart Yan Xi Wang, a great scavenger and philanthropist, became the first philanthropist in Xing Tai city. He donated 180 ,000 RNB in 30 years . Yan Xi Wang was born in a small town called Long Rao in China. He has been working as a scavenger since he was 13. He has never gotten married. He doesn’t have a house. He has been living in a tent for 15 years. He has eaten and worn what other people have thrown away. His life is so indigent and hard, but he has used all of his money to help other people. He has been taking good care of his brother since he began earning money. He has helped many students go to college or university.
I admire my father Majid. He is a writer, and he is my great master. When he was young he studied political science in Tehran University. Then, he started his own business as an importer of airline accessories. After two years he became one of the famous business men in the Middle East. In his forties, he had everything: money, power, intelligence and future. However, he had always missed something in his life, so he started to study Art. He played many instruments, and he became familiar with Eastern philosophy and mysticism. Finally, he found something more in life, “transcendental consciousness.” After a couple years of journey in the Middle East, he discovered his duty in this world. One day, he gave everything he had to others, and he started a simple new life. He has a small Ashram in Iran, which it located in the center of a beautiful jungle. During the past 20 years, he has taught many people who are eager and thirst for consciousness. He has changed many lives, and he has dedicated his whole life for excellence in the human spirit. He has published more than 13
10 books, and he has adopted more than 10 children. He has taught me for me 15 years about philosophy, mysticism and the ways of being human. He taught me spiritual secrets of life with his actions, his words and his being. He made a safe place for us for learning, and he watched us with patience. I hope someday I will be a good master because he has always told us, “Remaining a student is ingratitude of the master.” Hanki Kang Level 6 Academic Writing A Terrible Place When I got to the international airport, it was so crowded; everybody seemed so busy except me. I could hear several foreign languages that I did not understand such as Chinese, Thai, and English. I could not understand anything that they were saying, but going to a new country felt like an adventure. I was so excited that I could not even think about my long flight until I got on the airplane. When I boarded, I could not close my mouth because it was a huge airplane, but my seat was very tiny as if it was for a child. I sat down, but it was very uncomfortable. It was not soft or relaxing like my long, blue sofa at home, but I thought I could see the clouds through my window, so I did not complain. The one thing that I liked was my window seat, but I could only see the wonderful sky outside for about half an hour. It quickly turned to dusk as soon as the plane took off, so my small window became black, and all I could see was myself looking back. After a while, it was time to have dinner. An American flight attendant, who was not wearing any make up, and looked very tired, asked me what I wanted. There were two choices: Chicken Alfredo, or rice with vegetables. I chose the Alfredo, but I regretted it as soon as I took one bite. It was the worst thing I've ever tasted. I also had a cup of black coffee, orange juice, and some water. Suddenly, I wanted to go to the rest room, but the man who was in the aisle seat
was asleep and snoring quietly. He was quite a fat man, so it was impossible to get out of my seat. After a few minutes, I was able to get out and go to the rest room as soon as he woke up. The restroom smelled very bad, and was unclean, so it made me grimace. Also, I thought, “ I should not drink too much, so I won't need to use this again.” I returned to my tiny seat and tried to read my book, but there were people from all around the world, so I could hear lots of different languages as they talked loudly. I was excited that I heard languages at the airport, but not inside the plane. It made me crazy that I couldn't read my book. I did not even think about sleeping there. I could not move my neck, my back, or my rear because of my seat belt. Being locked up like that for a long time was very stressful. It was just so boring and painful that I needed a lot of patience. When I return to South Korea someday, I am not going to sleep on my soft bed the night before, because if I do not sleep, I will probably be able to sleep well for a long time even on the noisy and uncomfortable airplane.
Sara Bahrini Level 7 Academic Writing Comparing Iran He presented himself not as a conqueror, but a liberator and the legitimate successor to the crown. He also declared the first charter of human rights known to mankind. Cyrus was upright, a great leader of men, generous and benevolent. The Hellenes, whom he conquered, regarded him as ‘Law14
giver’ and the Jews as ‘the anointed of the Lord’. Due to him Iran was the place where human rights were declared and it became a leader for the rest of the world. Thirty years ago in Iran a huge revolution happened, and people protested to achieve their political freedom. Despite the fact that it has been thirty years since the revolution and the regime has changed, there are many people who are being arrested, tortured or even killed today. Even though Iranians couldn’t achieve their political freedom, they also lost their civil freedom. The current government contributed to its society to lose its honesty, freedom of the press religion and the arts. The current regime, Islamic Republic of Iran made Iranians to lose their honesty which they had before. The way that people have been treated in the past three decades in Iran made them lie in order to get their basic needs. They lie about private life, relationship and opinion. For example: when children start going to school their family needs to make them aware not to talk about what’s going on in their home at school because indoor life is totally different from outdoor life in Iran. Some people inside their home don’t wear hejab or they do drink alcohol, dance and listen to any music or watch any movie which is forbidden in public society. Before the revolution there was no need to lie; actually people didn’t need to explain about their private life. If you want to know the meaning of freedom you should ask it from Iranian people especially the latest generation who never experienced it in their country. Despite what Ahmadinejad (Iran’s current president whom they don’t accept him as their president) keep saying that Iran is the freest country, there are so many people who fight for their freedom. Needless to say, everyone could be free if they always agree with the government and don’t get involved with politics. Beside civil freedom Iranians still don’t have political freedom after the revolution. For example; after the revolution no news can be announced without government permission. There’s no allowance for any news against the government to be announced. That’s why during the latest election they didn’t let journalists from other
countries broadcast news. They even control the celebrations. If they know there is a party somewhere where there are girls, boys, drinks, music and dance, they’ll arrest them which never would have happened before the revolution. Before there were different religions there were also groups of people who didn’t follow any religion, they all could live together and be respectful toward each other. Nonetheless, after the revolution everyone had to follow Islamic rules otherwise it would be against the law. Iranians who have other religions don’t have any benefits. For example they can’t go to regular schools or go to the University or have any job related to the government, so there is no promotion for them. In spite of the political limitation in the arts in either, after or before the revolution, the government added even more limitations related to Islam after the revolution. For example they covered naked statues which had not happened before the revolution. Thirty years ago, people weren’t as knowledgeable as they are today. They just wanted to change the regime. Now the majority of Iran’s society is young educated people who care about their own future and also their children’s. They know exactly what they want as to change the regime. They are aware of their rights. No bird can explain how to fly except the one who always wished to fly. Ask Iranian people about freedom. Nahid Rashidi Nezami Level 7 Academic Writing Shirin Ebadi and Her Effect on Iran It does not matter how long you live, it is important how you live. Shirin Ebadi was born in Hamedan, a city of Iran, in 1948. She studied law and graduated as a lawyer from the University of Tehran in 1969. After a few months, she passed the exams and became a judge. She continued her studies at the University of Tehran until she got a master’s degree in law and became the first woman to preside over a court. After the revolution in 1979 in Iran, she lost her job because it was 15
illegal for women to work as a judge in the Iranian court. She didn’t want to work in another position in the court, so she decided to retire. At home she started to write books about women’s rights and children’s rights; one of her books is Bedary Iran, which means “Awakening Iran”. She now teaches as a professor in a university. Her life has affected her own country, Iran, the world, and also my life. In Iran she was working as a lawyer and writer. She challenged the government to improve children’s rights and women’s rights in Iran. According to Iranian law, when parents of a child get a divorce, the mother does not get custody of her child, even if the father is not competent to care for his child. Moreover, it takes the testimony of two women to equal that of one man. She writes and works to advise women about how to get their rights. She established a community which provided leadership to unsatisfied and disenfranchised women in Iran. As a result, a few rules have changed to some extent. The reaction of the government to the women’s movement has been a starting point where women have begun to believe in themselves and what they are fighting for. As a lawyer, she has defended hundreds of innocent students who participated in demonstrations against the government. As result of her excellent ability in defending her clients, she has saved many people’s lives. She took up the cause of women’s rights in the world. She is an activist who, in 2003, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous work in human rights and democracy. Also, she has won several prizes in Iran and other countries. She teaches university students who are from outside of Iran and trains them in human rights. She tries to change their minds about Islam and Iranians. After the revolution of Iran, for many non –Iranians the only exposure to Iran and the Iranian culture has been through the media. Unfortunately the media tends to cover all the negative news that happens in any country; therefore, people in most western countries only know less than the truth about Iran. Shirin Ebadi focuses on educating people
on the truth so everyone knows what is really happening in Iran and what the culture is like there. The Nobel Prize judges said they hoped that an Islamic woman winning the Nobel Prize would help to change the Middle East in a way which brings reforms to countries such as Iran. Shirin Ebadi has spoken at meetings, and I have tried to go and listen and learn about my rights as a woman. I also have struggled to achieve my rights in society. I learned and took some advice from her words to help women be more concerned about their rights. She has been fighting for women’s rights and for what she believes in all her life. I can identify with her because she has had hard times in her life, and her family has been troubled. She was married, and she has two daughters; one of them is studying to be a doctor and the other one is studying law. Even though she has won the Nobel Peace Prize and is well known internationally, she fears that the Iranian government might try to arrest and imprison her. She says, “How can you defy fear? Fear is a human instinct, just like hunger. Whether you like it or not, you become hungry. Similarly with fear, but I have learned to train myself to live with this fear.” Her struggles toward her goals have made her a symbol of persistence, for me as well as for other women. She has such great character and touches my heart deep inside, as she does many other Iranian women like me and people all around the world. People like her not only change their own lives but also the lives of many people around them. They open a new window in each of our minds to think more carefully and to be more curious. They make us think about what’s happening right now and wake us up from the illusion that we are living in a perfect world.
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Junko Okazaki Level 7 Academic Writing A Running Away Grandpa I love my grandpa, but I had never been more scared and shaken by him in my life. He was 87 years old and lived on his own in Kochi, Japan, which is far from my city. The place is serene and surrounded by beautiful mountains. He was always calm and nice to me. When I last visited him with my family, he asked us where grandma was, who already passed away, again and again. Everybody thought it was time to take care of him, so my parents persuaded him to stay at our house for a few weeks on trial, but it was a bad idea. When he was at our house, he looked very uncomfortable and said, “It’s time to go home!” every 10 minutes. He often asked me which way to walk home by himself, but his village and our city are on different islands, so it was impossible to go home by himself. When he wanted to take a walk, one of our family walked with him because he didn’t know our neighborhood at all. A few days later, he started sneaking out to take a walk. We knew he wanted to be alone, so we tried to take a distance and keep an eye on him, and it was repeated for a few days. But, one sunny morning, finally he got really mad at us. When my mother and I were following him as usual, he suddenly turned around and came up to us, and yelled, “Don’t follow me!!” with an angry face. He was completely freaked out. Then he stopped a car and told the driver,
“They are trying to kidnap me!” We were shocked at what he said and panicked. We took a distance from him and tried to hide when he turned around, but soon he disappeared. We completely lost him and didn’t know what to do. After looking for him for a while, we decided to go to the police station. We expected that they had already got some information about a lost old man, but they hadn’t. Although it had been eight hours since he disappeared, we still couldn’t find him. I was so worried about him because he didn’t know about our city, or even he didn’t have a phone. When it was getting dark outside, we finally got a phone call. It was from my aunt who lived near grandpa’s house, and she said, “He is home!!” According to my aunt, he took a taxi right after running away from us, took a bullet train, changed to a local train and made it. The train trip usually takes 6 or 7 hours and isn’t easy but he did! I think many kind people helped the old man, but we were surprised and relieved. After that, my dad and grandpa made a deal with an alternative way: a helper comes and helps with daily chores every morning, and he goes to a daycare center which a staff picks him up. Grandpa didn’t want to go there, but he knew it would be much better than staying at our house. Two years later, now, he still lives a peaceful life in the village. I learned that we have to respect his life and we shouldn’t make arrangements to suit our own convenience.
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Mayra Ochoa S. Level 7 Academic Writing The Magic Kings “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”- Albert Einstein-. On January 6th, Mexicans celebrate the day of the magic kings. This is a traditional holy day where the children have to write a letter to the magic kings expressing their good wishes and request them toys that they want for January 6th. That day, the magic kings gave me a lesson which I learned and I have never forgotten. On January 1st, 1990, I was excitedly writing a letter to the magic kings as it was the tradition. Then, I wrote, letting them know of my good behavior over the past year, and I expressed my wish to have a beautiful doll that I wanted. While I was writing the letter, I was influenced by the T.V. I just watched the advertisement of toys and thought about that big doll. While I was just thinking of myself, I forgot to write something wishing for my family, for their happiness, etc. On January 6th, remembered as the day that the magic kings arrived, the morning was cold and dark. The smell of the hot chocolate, and the traditional sweet bread, which my mother was making, woke me up. After the breakfast, I ran to the Christmas tree looking for the doll of my dreams. I just found a set of
aluminum dishes and a big doll without hair and her body was made of cotton. After a while, my mother asked me if I was happy with the toys that the magic kings brought me. I gave her a harsh “no” as an answer. I felt disappointed, angry, and I went back to my room. Then, my mother came to my room and talked with me. She said, “I think you have been unfair with your father and me”. “You knew who the magic kings are and the tradition is if the child knows who the magic kings are, there will not be presents anymore,” she added. I told her, “in the school there were always children showing off their nice toys that the kings brought to them and I wanted a fine toy to show off too. She just said, “let’s go for a walk”. After, she took me to the side of the town where people lived in extreme poverty. The children were wearing old, torn, and dirty clothes without shoes. They were playing with used toys celebrating that holy day. I saw them happy and they seemed to me as if they did not need anything else. As soon as we came back home, my mother said, “as you could see, there are lot of children like those whom you saw, around the world”. “Children who do not have house, food, clothes, and even toys and you are angry with your parents because they could not afford an expensive toy”, she remarked. Then, I was so sorry and looked at my mother’s eyes imploring her forgiveness. After that day, I stopped wishing for expensive or fancy toys, and began to be thankful with God and my parents. Sharing good wishes and being happy and thankful with people and things around me have been the best present that the magic kings ( my mother and father) could have given me. I learned not to bother trying to get things which are not important in life. Every time that I look at my past, I always find this memory which makes me feel a complete human being . Now, I appreciate everything that I have because I have everything that I need.
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Lilian Tovar Level 7 Academic Writing Goals As a teenager I always used to say: “What I do or say will never change no matter the circumstances, it will be the same.” Back then, in my eyes, an admirable person was the one who could keep the same philosophy throughout life. Now that I am thirty four years old, I realize that it was a strong statement to live up to and actually an impossible one. A person transforms intellectually, physically and spiritually as time goes by, especially in the planning of their goals which sometimes can be the same. The goals that I would like to compare (differences and similarities) are job, family, religion and residence. The time will be at eighteen years old and now at the edge of thirty four. This inquiry makes me realize that people transform in time. To have a dream job can be difficult. I used to wish to work in any communication media like newspaper, T.V, radio, cinema but most of all I dreamed to be a journalist that could have the ability to express in words what the senses experienced by traveling around the world and other cultures. At this time in my life, I am aiming to finish my English classes and continue studying for an Associate Degree as an Addiction Counselor. Living in the United States and wanting to access a journalism career requires me to have better finances. Another goal was family, as a continuing system support. I had always promised my mom that I would always be “there” every time she needed me. However, living now so far away from her, I can only offer her time to listen to her or send her money. Another aspect I have about family is that I used to say that I did not want to have children or a spouse, only a boyfriend, but now I want it all: a spouse and two babies which would ensure having family around all the time. Learning about religion is not a waste of time. Being raised as a child with no religion,
I used to refuse anything that suggested religion as a part of the human history. In present days I find myself reading about Christianity and realizing that it is the pillar of the majority of the societies around the world. In spite of the differences in my goals mentioned above, there is one that has not changed at all. Establishing a residence in Texcoco, Mexico would require me to suffer memory loss. Texcoco was the place that I lived the first eight years of my life and the worst ones so far. The discipline that my father gave me was off limits of any coherent person. I have always thought this back then, now and forever. Definitely going back to Texcoco would not do me any good, at any age. Childhood goals in career, family, religion and where to live may or may not change as we go through life. Human beings are subjected to experience constant changes which affect them throughout their lives partially or totally, changes that are within the person and within nature.
Irina Pond Level 7 Academic Writing Inspiration for Happy Life “We are constantly striving for success, fame and comfort when all we really need to be happy is someone or something to be enthusiastic about,” wrote Jackson H Brown. I will tell you who helped me to find my key to a happy life, and why he became an inspiration for me. In the ninetieth years of the last century, I lived in a little Siberian town in 19
Russia. It was a time of the deepest economical crisis in the country. There was the crazy financial inflation and the unemployment that had never been characteristic before in Russia with the empty counters in the stores and the grocery’s coupons for food; moreover, there was the boundless crime and the flourishing corruption accompanied with the gloom on people’s faces and their panic moods of an obscure perspective for a future life. Yes, those times, many people were smitten with fears and were not sure about how their lives would be tomorrow just if they had their homes, lovely families, good paid jobs, and good level of education for it. It was very important at that time to keep calm and not fall into panic. It was very difficult to be out of the widespread panic moods and avoid the same conversations when among fearful people. Those times, the positive mood was similar to a fresh water drink during hot weather, and every one needed a source of positive mood and optimism for life. I had all necessities for a good life, however, like the other people, sometimes I had and I fought with my fears for confidence in my future day. Those fears continued until I met my inspiration. It was a beautiful sunny summer day outside. I had a lunch-hour at my work, and after lunch, I came out of the office for a short walk. When I walked slowly on the sidewalk among troubled-looking people, my eyes noticed a movement among the pedestrian’s crowd. I saw a dog. The dog took my attention by his running on the sidewalk toward me with a peculiar merry hop and defiantly upright tail. Furthermore, his view was happy! Without any doubts, I could say he had enjoyed that sunny summer day, and he had looked at the people as if each of them was his good acquainted friend. I called him, and he approached me with a certainty that I was his friend too. Now in front of me I saw a little black homeless dog a few years of age. He had a long strong body with funny short legs. You could never say about him, ”What a pretty dog!” His neck on the back had a very noticeable old bald spot without fur. That spot looked like a consequence of dog’s shingles or
somebody’s attempt to kill him by fire or spill on his neck some chemical solution a long time ago. People in the street tried to walk him away, thinking he was infectious because of his bald spot, but he was not. He was full of young energy and perfectly happy. The homeless dog, who had nothing in life, had had a very important thing that was absent in me at that crisis time. So, I decided to take him and his positive mood home with me. My invitation was worthily taken, and we walked home together as old friends. At home, I cleaned the dog’s ugly spot with antiinfective agent, washed him and fed him. I understood quickly his independent character and decided to give him the same freedom for walking outside as he had during his homeless life. Later, when the dog was napping beside my legs, I sat in the big armchair thinking about an incredible thing more particularly: the little homeless dog was happy despite his terrible living circumstances, but many people around me and me too, despite having all necessities for our lives, were worried and therefore unhappy with life. I asked myself, “Why does not this little homeless dog simply live, but he lives as if he celebrates every day of his life? Why am I worried about any nonsense while my life passes away?” It was so clear that it was not right and I should find an answer for this question to be happy with my life. Suddenly I awaked an important needful thought: the dog bides his everyday in the present! Every day in our life is special, sunny or rain, successful or not so, and it will have never repeated again. I read about that in many clever books, but only when I met this homeless dog, this thought became mine. Yes, only after meeting with the dog did that simple thought became a key to my own happy life too. I decided clearly that if the dog wants to be my dog and live at my home, he can, but if no, he can go where he wants. I thought such a way because, before our meeting, the dog had been satisfied and happy with his life exactly. According to that, I did not want to spoil his life as if he was a boarder in this home. Therefore, when he left home after a few weeks, he went out for a walk and did not 20
return home, I was sure he continued to be happy in his independent life. The most marvelous thing occurred after his leaving: we began to have our sporadic meetings in the town’s streets. I was sincere gladness to see each other. Sometimes my four-footed inspirator was among someone’s company, and one time he was with two teenage girls, who took him home same as me. “There are no gloomy times. There can only be gloomy people,” said the famous French novelist Romain Rolland. Now, after my meeting with a little homeless dog, I know it is true. Love your life every day because every day is so special and will never come again. Life is beautiful!
Mildret Roque Level 7 Academic Writing The Effects of Teen Pregnancy According to The Center for Disease Control report one out of three American girls get pregnant before the age of twenty. 75,000 teen pregnancies occur annually, eight out of ten of these are unplanned, and 81 percent are unmarried teens. The effects on pregnant teens are negative for they aren't mature enough to become mothers. As a result, pregnant teenage mothers have to face and overcome financial issues, limit social contacts, increase responsibilities, and face physical and psychological hardships. The first effect on teenage pregnancy are financial issues. Teenage mothers are dependent on government support since they have had less time to gather up savings. Most
pregnant teenage mothers go on welfare which is the only support that a teen parent will receive. However, welfare benefits are higher for those teens whose baby's fathers are absent. Besides that, teenage mothers in some cases may receive help like Medicaid, food stamps, and Aid to families with dependent children. It is still a financial issue since teen parents are sometimes forced to move out of the house and find their own place to live. Also, if the teen mother decides to continue high school she will be forced to give up work and as a result it will make it difficult for both parents to support themselves and their child. During the pregnancy, teenage mothers have to limit their social contacts. They have less time to talk to friends or go out to have fun. They have to give up work if they did have a job, for a period of time, without a doubt. Teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of high school. According to the website teenpregnancy.org, more than two thirds of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school because they cannot handle the task of caring for a baby and studying at the same time. Eventually, they have to give up all their time to take care of the unborn baby and to rest. Hence teenage mothers have greater risks than older women because most pregnant teens do not follow a proper diet and as a result they will not gain the adequate weight during pregnancy which could result in serious complications. After the baby is born, teenage parents will experience an increase in responsibilities. The teen parents have to mature and make better decisions from now on. The new mother has to take care of the baby, however most teenage mothers ask for someone in the family to take care of the baby. Most of the time it is the teen mother who takes the responsibility of caring for the child. Meanwhile, the father (if he is present) usually has to choose a job over school so that he can pay bills and provide food for his child. Both the father and the mother have to share the responsibilities of taking care of the baby. For instance, they have to take the baby to the doctor regularly, they also have to wake up during night time to 21
check on how the baby is doing, and the mother has to breast feed the baby. Finally, teenage mothers have to face physical and psychological hardships. For example, a physical hardship comes after the teenage mother gives birth. The teenage mother can experience low energy in her body and also feel aggravated by the physical aspect that her body shows. This in turn might cause psychological emotions like low self-esteem. Other psychological emotions that teenage mothers can get are depression and anxiety. They can feel confuses on how they are going to handle so many things and the fact that they are going to have to give up most of their time to take care of their baby. To conclude, the best way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy is to educate one self about the different kind of contraceptions. There are a number of groups and organizations that can help teens that want to know more about contraception, sex, STDS, pregnancy, abortion or want advice from someone else other than friends or family members. These are some of the websites that can help prevent unwanted pregnancy and also prevent having to go through difficult decisions in one's life: www.advocatesforyouth.org and www.ashastd.org
References Online Source: Fri, Nov 5, 2010 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search ?q=cache:XGMUXZfWU1MJ:www.familyfirst aid.org/teenpregnancy.html+teen+pregnancy+facts&cd=2 &hl=en&ct=clnk&ie=UTF-8 http://www.livestrong.com/article/12457-teenpregnancy/ http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/12457-teenpregnancy/
Yoyo Chan Lok Yiu Level 8 Academic Writing A Tiny Town in Oregon Heppner, a very tiny town that most people have never heard of, even the people in Oregon, is situated in Eastern Oregon. The population is around 1500 people. It is a peaceful and happy place where the people are very nice. I spent nearly a year in Heppner last year and experienced lots of happiness there. I didn’t even want to go back home. This small place gave me so much precious memories that I will never ever forget. My adventure in Heppner started when I was an exchange student there for ten months. I was shocked when I looked at the information about Heppner. The number of people living in my building in Hong Kong was probably more than the people in the whole town. How unbelievable it sounded! I couldn’t imagine how I could live there for so long. To my astonishment, it was totally different from what I thought. I spent the most happiest and memorable days in Heppner and I would say it was one of the best years of my life as I learned and grew up there. I enjoyed a lot and I met a lot of people from all over the world which broadened my horizons. Honestly, Heppner is not a place for charming scenery. It is as dry as the desert. The hills and fields all look dull yellow instead of fresh green. There is a nice lake which people can go swimming in or have a picnic in the summer. There are a couple of stores, restaurants and churches in Heppner’s mini downtown. These were the places where my friends and I spent most of our time and had fun in. I had an enjoyable and happy school life 22
in Heppner High School where there were 250 students including 30 exchange students. The teachers and classmates were so friendly and helpful. I made tons of amazing friends and I spent most of the time with them. I got to learn and understand more about myself when I was with them because of the differences of cultures and backgrounds. Besides, the starry night in Heppner impressed me the most. The stars were like millions of fireflies over my head. I always felt so relaxed and satisfied after gazing at the stars in the dark night. That happiness was just so simple and easy to find. The stars were like my good friends at night and accompanied me to sleep every night. There is no doubt that nothing could replace or exchange the wonderful time I had in Heppner. It is so amazing that such a small place could give so many memories and mean so much to me. I really miss Heppner. I will definitely go back and visit Heppner again one day! Name: Yangsi Ou ESOL Level 8 Writing No Brothers! No Sisters! Can you image that you could not be allowed to have a second child or more children? In China, there is a birth control policy to limit people to give birth, and some people call it the One Child Policy. The general idea of this policy is that one couple is allowed to have one child, couples who are living in the countryside are allowed to have one or two children, and couples who are ethnic minorities are not limited by this policy. The Chinese government put this policy into practice in 1978, so the policy has existed for more than 30 years. It is not only a simple governmental policy, but also a big matter for every family and every person in China. It has impacted more than three generations. Some people say that the government needs to stop this policy, but some people say the government needs to continue it. For this controversial topic, many specialists and scholars gave their views and suggestions. In my opinion, the government of China should
not continue to implement the One Child Policy because the Chinese national conditions have changed. Opponents claim that China has a large population, and it is necessary to carry out this policy. If the large population increases quickly, it will be difficult to manage the country, and the society and economy will not be stable. In 2005, the population of China was about 1.307 billion. In 2009, the Chinese government announced that the last data of the Chinese population was about 1.328 billion. It increased 6.73 million people from 2008, so the rising rate of population was 5.08% (China Government Web). In fact, the increasing speed of population of China is very low. After 30 years, the One Child Policy has changed the Chinese population structure. A society will become an aging society if there are over 7% of the total people over 65 years old in the total population for a country, and a society will become an aged society if the total population has over 14% of people over 65 years old. In 2005, China had 7.6% of the population over 65 years old. According to a Japanese magazine, “From the aging society to the aged society, France spent 115 years, England spent 47 years, Garman spent 40 years, Japan spent 24 years, and China will spend about 25 years to enter the aged society” (qtd.in Ifeng News). Why? The reason is the rising rate of population has continued at a pretty low level for many years. Although the Chinese society has enough labor workers in the market, it will be difficult to provide the same number of labor workers to do work in the future. If this policy keeps going, it will cause the society and economy to be not stable. Opponents assert that the One Child Policy is a flexible policy; it just limits the city population, but it does not limit the rural population and the minority population. The city area is an impacted area, so this policy makes the Chinese population balanced in city and rural areas. The Chinese government says that, “There are 45.7% city people and 54.3% rural people in 2008” (China Government Web). They believe it is a good result from the One Child Policy because city people occupied 18.96% and rural people occupied 81.04% in 23
1979. However, the 45.7% city people are not “real” city people. Most city people need to obey the policy from 1978, so the city population cannot realistically increase. On the other hand, rural people have more freedom to have one or two children. The result is that the city population reduces quickly, and the increasing speed of the city population is less than the rural population. There are more and more rural people in China now. The government gives the data and says it is equal because a lot of rural people move to cities for work. City
people have high-education and a lot of money, and they are only allowed to have one child. This policy is not fair for city people and makes the Chinese educational level lower in the future. Opponents argue that it is not the main reason that the sex ratio is not balanced, and it makes boys and girls have more equal rights in society. Under Chinese traditional thought, people like sons. But this policy bans people to choose the gender of their babies because a family can only have one child. That means the family can not choose to have a son or a daughter. Therefore, girls have the same status with boys, and girls have a lot of opportunity to study or work. At the same time, the government promises to give benefits to these families which only have girls. However, the policy makes this problem bigger. Some couples even give up raising their daughters
because they want to have a son. Thousands of baby girls are abandoned every year. According to Sing Tao Daily (Canada), “…about 100 thousand girls have been adopted by aboard families since 1991…” (qtd.in China News ). Some couples choose to give birth to boys by illegal sex identification technology. The couples who want to have a son go to do sexselective abortion till they have a boy fetus. On the other hand, a lot of young men difficultly find wives. Experts guess that 30 million to 40 million young men will not have wives in 2020 in China. It will cause an unstable society and a set of social problems such as violent crime. In addition, One Child Policy is an outdated policy for China now. In the 1970s, when the government made this policy, a large population was a real hindrance to economic development. After more than 30 years developing, China has a high-speed economy, but the policy is still the same thing. Although the government raised the fine which people who had an illegal child had to pay, some people earn a lot of money and are able to pay it. Then some people who are not rich and low educated still want to have a son, especially rural people. They can not pay the fine, but they move to the city for work and leave their girl children in the countryside with their parents or relatives. The purpose is to have a third or fourth child (a son). The government claims that they did a lot of work to manage these illegal actions. It is not the truth. They can limit city people to do that because the government has enough information about them such as their address, their work, their age and their children. But rural people do not have fixed housing, and they usually change to rent a small place to live in city. The government difficultly gains their actual information. For example, a couple who comes from a rural area has lived in the same street of my mother’s house for many years. They have a small store to make living and do not work for the government. They have eight children! Seven are girls, and one boy. The boy is the youngest child. All their girls are not living with the couple and are raised by their relatives. When the mother had the third baby and the later children, she went to another 24
place where nobody knew her to give birth. Nobody can give a number, even an estimated number about that how many illegal children are in China. In short, the One Child Policy does not work. Second, the policy ignores the human rights of people to have their children. To have their own children is a basic right for everybody. For a government of a country, its responsibility is to protect its people, but the Chinese government cuts the right because it wants the country to become richer and more powerful. And it uses these frameworks to persuade its people to give up their basic rights for the national development. A couple can not decide how many children they want to have; they do not have freedom in this issue. In some cases, the mother who had one several year old child had a baby over six months, but the government department which manages the policy asked the mother to have an induced abortion. In China, approximately 13 million cases of induced abortion happen every year (People.Com Web). The majority of women who do this are unmarried young ladies, and one of the reasons is that these young ladies have no right to own their babies. If these young women give birth to the babies, the babies are illegal. They can not have ID cards, can not study, can not work, and can not get any education and benefits from the government. The government focuses on the policy and ignores valuable lives. Third, the policy gives a lot of negative impact to people’s physiology or psychology. For young couples, childbirth is one of human beings’ natural needs in their whole life. But the policy inhibits their feeling to have enough children. For women, some young wives are afraid of an accident to have a second baby, and they can not give birth because they do not have a lot of money to pay for the government. If they work for the government, they will lose their jobs. They feel nervous about these things, so it is not good for their health. There are a lot of odd phenomena in China. For example, some couples divorce; then one of them falsely marries a single person to have a second child. After having the second child, they marry again. In another case, a man could
abandon his wife and the newborn child who usually is a girl baby. Then he could marry another woman to have a child till he had a son. These unfortunate things cause deep psychological t for women. For grandparents, they feel unhappy in their retired time and in their later years. Most grandmothers and grandfathers want to have more time with their grandchild, but one family just has one child. The grandchild needs to allocate time to the maternal and paternal grandparents, so the grandparents do not have enough time with their grandchild. In short, this policy can not satisfy people’s natural and basic needs and has some bad effects for people. Fourth, the policy causes a 4-2-1 problem for the society, which means that one family has four grandparents, two parents, and one child. This is a very common family structure in China now. If four grandparents are over 65 year old and retired, they do not have jobs and have a lot of spare time. Some of them can get pension from the government. But it is not all retired people who can have pension because the pension system is not competing. Therefore, some young couples have a responsibility to take care of their parents. At the same time, they need to raise their child. The couple supports three families, including their parents’ two families and their own family. After 20 years, when the child grows up, he gets married. He and his wife need to support “seven” families which are their grandparents’ four families, their parents’ two families, and their own family. It will be a big challenge for these “only children”. Unfortunately, if the child dies or is hurt in an accident, the whole family will be put into a difficult situation. One family is a part of the whole society, but this kind of family structure is unstable for the society. Finally, a child who has no brothers and no sisters can have an unhealthy life. This is also a common problem for most families in China. According to a 2005 report, Guangzhou Wang, an expert in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says that, “…there are 120 million 0 to 18 year old only children in China...” The group of “one child” has become a special part and has particular rights because 25
parents, family members, teachers, the government, and the society protect them. The child grows up in a family without other children; all the family numbers are adults. The family numbers treat the child very well and provide anything which they are able to get for the only child. They not only love the child, but also over love him or her. Under this environment, people give some adjective words to the child such as selfish, lazy, irritable, and spoilt. They do not live and compete with the same generation in their families. Thus, they do not know how to deal with the social relationship and how to get along with others. On the other hand, the family has a high expectation about the one child. The child feels bad stress from the family and faces a challenging future by him or herself. In conclusion, the Chinese government should not force people to follow the One Child Policy. The One Child Policy might have been a good policy in the past, but now a lot of things have changed. It causes a set of problems to the country, the family, and the person. These harmful effects will influence several generations of Chinese people and extend for the next decades in China. In my opinion, the Chinese government should use more financial resources and human resources to educate people that how to set up a happy and ideal family. If China wants to develop to a big and strong country, it must change the One Child Policy and make a healthy plan for all the Chinese families in the future.
. China Government Web. “Chinese National Economy and Social Development Report 2008.” February 26, 2009. August 6, 2010. . “Japanese Magazine Claimed China will Enter the Aging Society with Low Income.” June 26, 2009. Ifeng News. August 6, 2010. . “State Statistical Bureau: Chinese Population about 1,307,560,000 at the end of 2005.” March 16, 2006. Houston China-Consulate. August 13, 2010. . “Wang Zhaoguo: 2009 Our City People have 46.6%.” March 8, 2010. 163 News. August 6, 2010. . Wang, Guangzhou. “The Trend and Structure of China’s One Child.” 2009. Population Study. August 6, 2010. .
Works Cited “About 13 Million Cases in Induced Abortion Every Year in Our Country, Unmarried Ladies are Majority.” January 8, 2010. People.Com Web. August 6, 2010. . “Canada 15 Year Old Girl Return China to Firm, To Tell the Story about Chinese Girls’ Adoption.” July 21, 2010. China News. August 6, 2010. 26
