Critical thinking and Rote learning
2011/11/15 08:43:51
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生活
Rote learning means to learn by memorizing instead of understanding the things you learn. Rote learning usually results in students being narrow-minded, which means not opening the mind to new ideas or other people's opinions. Our students will, of course, be immature if they rely on rote learning. Immature means childish or not fully developed. It comes from the word mature, which means fully-grown, or behaving like an adult.
The report said secondary students had bad grammar. I have always argued that Hong Kong's rote learning puts too much importance on grammar. Hong Kong's teachers care more about grammar than critical thinking. Our teachers must get real. Hong Kong students will never be perfect in grammar because English is not their first language. To get real is a slang expression that means to be realistic. You don't need perfect grammar to think critically or to be broad-minded, which is the opposite of narrow-minded. Too much focus on grammar could result in students paying less attention to critical thinking. I am sure bosses prefer hiring people who can think critically than those who have good grammar.
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當考評局官員的報告指出，本港中學生不懂得批判思考（think critically）時，我沒有絲毫詫異。香港中學會考報告指出，本港中學生思想狹隘（narrow-minded）、稚嫩（immature），語文文法差。就此問題，我們不應只怪責學生。我們的教育制度並不鼓勵學生具有批判思考（critical thinking)。Critical thinking指以質疑的精神思考問題。要批判地思考（think critically)，你必須質疑臆測、臆說，但亞洲的教育制度，包括本港在內，太側重記背式學習（rote learning)。
Rote learning指死記硬背資料，而非以明白知識為學習前提。記背式學習（rote learning）通常教出思想狹窄的學生（narrow-minded），這字解作故步自封，拒絕接受新構思或他人意見。如果我們的學生側重記背式學習（rote learning），言行自然會稚嫩（immature）。Immature解幼稚或未成熟，它源自mature，意思是成熟或表現如成人。
報告指中學生的語文文法不濟，我時常指出，本港的記背式學習（rote learning）過份側重文法的重要性。相對於批判性思考，本港教師較重視學生的文法水平。我們的教師必須實際（get real），基於英語並非母語，本港學生不會說或寫完美的文法。Get real是俚語，意思是實際、切實。你毋須透過完美的文法來批判思考，或從而成為一個眼界、胸襟廣濶（broad-minded）的人。Broad-minded是narrow-minded的反義詞。太側重文法水平會引致學生較少注意批判性思考。我肯定老闆喜歡聘用能批判思考的人才，多於文法無懈可擊（good grammar）的書蟲。
中譯: 利以嘉
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
True, to be able to express oneself with perfect grammar is not synonymous with one being "broad-minded" or "able to think critically."
But being unable to express oneself with reasonable grammar would only make the listener unable to decipher what one wants to say. Under such circumstances, whether or not one is thinking critically is simply irrevelant.
此文章寫得非常好!!