Reading Stories of Three Generations

Zhuang  Xiaoyan, Principal of DHSZ

What benefits did Principal Zhuang derive from the Chinese educational system is that when she was a student of the English language, reading opened up a window for her. She was able to see what was happening inside and outside of China. She came into contact with wonderful works written by great writers. They not only taught her profound knowledge but also brought her peace and happiness.

Principal Zhuang also met challenges during reading, and the ongoing challenge is time, "there are so many good books, that sometimes I feel it is difficult to choose the right one and to finish it on time."

Speaking of what encourages her to carry on reading now, Principal Zhuang said, "First of all, I don’t regard reading as a burden. Reading can be helpful to your work and study, and you also need to enjoy it. Secondly, you can use fragments of time. For example, I am doing some listening while getting out of bed. Just 5 minutes every day! After lunch, if there is no meeting or other tasks to fulfil, I will spend 10 minutes reading. Two thousand words a day will make 60 thousand a month. Every little makes a mickle!"

Zhao Qing, DHSZ Librarian

Reading makes Ms Zhao feel companied when she was sad or happy. She also felt that there was something to do at her winter and summer vocational time. She enjoyed the sense of companionship

When she was a student, in the Chinese class, the teacher would frequently ask them to summarize the main idea of a paragraph of text. During lessons, no emphasis was ever placed on literary appreciation. "I've read a lot of famous books, but I can't understand what's so good about many of them, and how reading can enlighten one's wisdom?"

There are a few reasons that keep Ms Zhao reading now. A sense of self-recognition keeps her reading. Also, through comparative reading, her ability to learn by herself has improved. "I don't know when I started to understand and appreciate literature. All I know, is that I can now feel the beauty and power of some books." Also, since joining an English writers club in Suzhou last year, she needs to read and comment on the other members that are all written in English. "I found that my English reading speed improved. Writing in English is not particularly difficult for me." Finally, Ms Zhao also found that her years of reading in English helped her this year with writing, and she can now express her thoughts clearly and concisely in English.

Gabriel G, DHSZ Y10

As a student, reading enables Gabriel to learn. For example, he is interested in Classic guitar. To learn knowledge about the classical guitar, he cannot only rely on what he learned in class. The more he read the more he know. 

"When someone told me that reading can enrich your life and improve your exam grades, I was full of doubts about it," Gabriel said. In the begining, he hated to read and would often fall asleep reading. 

Gabriel beliebes another challenging issue is that students are going online for relaxation. "Reading is a good way to relax. Reading brings more benefits than playing on your mobile phone."

Now as an international student, reading books in English can improve Gabriel's core English competencies. Although he has now formed a habit of reading, sometimes, he finds he can only read for 30 minutes at a time. "The crucial step is forcing myself to start reading. I found I then have the ability to calm down and read, and I am eager to learn more, understand more and think more," siad Gabriel. 

Tina Z, DHSZ Y11

Reading from a young age has actually helped Tina a lot in her growth. It helped her to develop the thinking and logic skills and to be more thoughtful in her daily life. She believes that a lot of the knowledge in books is actually applicable to all aspects of life, "I enjoy reading because of this. Reading not only adds to your experience but also shows your shortcomings, as well as the diversity of the world."

Inevitably, there were times when Tina lost interest in reading and did not have the patience to sit and read quietly. This problem plagued her for a long time. The pressure of tedious studies made her physically and mentally restless, and at that time, she could not even last an hour every time she opened a book to finish reading. Later, as she realized the importance of her English vocabulary, she started to read books in both English and Chinese again, and she was patient enough to read English fiction books and look for books she liked more carefully. Now Tina has a renewed mindset and a renewed passion for reading. 

For Tina now, it's not just the ups and downs of the plot in books that attract her to read, but also the hard knowledge in many specialist books. She feels satisfied and enriched by the constant flow of new knowledge. "The need to learn, and my curiosity for knowledge, has allowed me to read more books and be exposed to different expertise," said Tina.