Summary-Welsh's article

EAP2 Writer’s Workshop Term 066
10/26/2006
Instructor: Heidi Wright
Sang Keon Yoo
Summary of “For once, blame the student” by Patrick Welsh

In Patrick Welsh’s article, “For Once, Blame the student,” he argues that American students have to follow the direction of foreign-born classmates because they did not have enough motivation, self-discipline or work ethic than foreign students had. Welsh claims that “us-born kids from upper-class home with highly educated parents” had a string c’ s and d’ s in second-quarter for his senior English classes. In addition, he points out that “Japanese and Taiwanese students study hard twice than American students.” by cites of work of Harold Stevenson and a multinational team. Moreover, he alleges that “kids have convinced parents that it is the teacher or the system that is the problem, not their lack of effort.” Therefore, he concludes that American kids should be blamed.
Although some of Welsh’s claims have certain degree of validity, I think some of them are inaccurate and fruitless. I disagree with the author’s point of view. Specifically, I disagree that American students are lazy, that America has plenty of fund that there is nothing to be blamed except USA students.
First, the author reveals that “falling short of U.S. student’s intellectual potential is their failure to exercise self-discipline.” by quotes of study of Pennsylvania researchers Angela Duckworth and Martin Seligman. However, he does not illustrate the entire contents of their work. Pennsylvania researchers’ work may have contained different important facts. For example, we can suppose that Angela Duckworth and Martin Seligman reported that American parents ask their children more outdoor activity than indoor life in another chapter. This is very unusual phenomenon for foreign parents, especially Asian. Generally speaking, activity in outdoor is more precious than sitting at the table especially in juvenile days,
Next, he states that “failure in the class is tied work ethics, not lack of funding, poor teachers and other ills.” In addition, he indicates that “U.S. kids from upper-class homes have a lower score and have convinced parents that it is all that is the problem, except them.” Moreover, he states “busy parents guilt-ridden over the time they spend with their kids are big subscribers to this theory.” However, this may be a fallacy of hasty generalization. The three cases of whole instances showed by him is his High School’s colleague testimony. He collected data around him. Birds of a feather flock together.
Finally, the author does not suggest any concrete solution to solve the American student’s problem. Welsh insist that “clear majority of problem is not inadequate teachers, boring textbooks and large class sizes but American kids,” Therefore, he urges us to blame U.S. students. However, we need get more abundant and precise investigations to blame only kids. In fact, world is too intricate to blame kids only. The author complains of students without giving the way to solve the issue. I believe that Welsh’s point of view is narrow and not persuasive.
In conclusion, I agree with Welsh’s claim that Americas’ upper-and middle-class students should trail foreign-born classmates. Nevertheless, isolating a single factor and claming that kids are the sole cause of any school problem is not appropriate.



Welsh, P. (2006, March 7). For once, blame the student. USA TODAY. Retrieved October 25, 2006, from http://www.usatoday.com





EAP2 Writer’s Workshop Term 066
10/26/2006
Instructor: Heidi Wright
Sang Keon Yoo
Review Test



I am starting to think that there is no safe place left to ride a bicycle. When I try to ride on the highway in order to go to school, I feel like a rabbit being pursued by predators. Drivers whip past me at high speed and try to see how close they can get to my bike without actually killing me. When they pull onto the shoulder of the road or make a right turn, drivers completely ignore my vehicle. On city streets, I feel more like a cockroach than a rabbit. Drivers in the city despise bicycle. Regardless of an approaching bike rider, street-side car doors will make nasty comments or shout out obscene propositions. Even pedestrians in the city show their disregard for me. While jaywalking across the street, the pedestrian will treat me a law-abiding bicyclist to a withering look of disdain. Pedestrians may even cross my path deliberately. As if to prove their higher position in the pecking order of the city streets. Today, bicycling dab be the hazardous to the rider’s health.