Individual Learning Plan

Learning Objective

I would like to learn about the culture and the lifestyles of the people in Tianjin, China. It would be interesting to observe and understand the differences in areas such as the food, living standards, education system and safety between China and Singapore.

From what I have heard, the education system in China is stricter than Singapore. The students are always punctual and will be focused throughout the lessons. As for safety, the crime rates in China are much higher than Singapore. There would be a need to take much more care on the personal belongings.

My main motivation for learning would be curiosity. I find that it is easier for me to learn when there are new things that catch my attention.

With the knowledge gained, I can share them with others who have not had the chance to visit China. They will also be useful when communicating with the people from China and for future personal or business visitations to China.

Focus of Inquiry

On this trip, my main focuses would be on the interpersonal relationships and the student lifestyles in Tianjin, China. I would like to have a better understanding on how the people interact with each other and how the students spend their time in school and in their studies.

Questions for Investigation

1. What are the differences in the way of studying between Singapore and Tianjin, China?

The students in Tianjin, China seem to be more disciplined and treat their studies very seriously.

2. How do the people in Tianjin, China interact with each other?

The people in Tianjin, China seem to speak more loudly and can be straightforward at times as compared to Singaporeans.

3. What is the level of air pollution as compared to Singapore?

Although there have been reports of reduction in the level of air pollution, the level of air pollution level seems to be much higher than Singapore.

4.  What is the transport system like in Tianjin, China?

The transport system in Tianjin, China seems to be similar to Singapore with good efficiency and comfort level.

5. How do the people in Tianjin, China treat foreigners?

It seems that the people in Tianjin, China are generally warm, friendly and helpful to foreigners.

Development of Global Skills

The three global skills that I would like to acquire and improve are interpersonal skills, the respect for other beliefs and the willingness to take risk.

1.  Interpersonal skills                                                                              

Being someone who is less outspoken, I realised that having good interpersonal skills are very important as they are used in our everyday lives. Not only do they allow communication with others to be easy and comfortable, they can also generally control the feelings that emerge in difficult situations and respond appropriately, instead of being overwhelmed by emotion. Thus, I believe that having good interpersonal skills will help me communicate easier with others.

2. Respect for other beliefs

Everyone has their own beliefs in different matters. Conflicts can be easily caused by the lack of respect for others’ beliefs due to the difference with personal beliefs. Thus, I believe that having the respect for other beliefs will help me prevent unnecessary conflicts and not hurt others’ feelings unintentionally.

3. Willingness to take risk

Every decision in life is a risk. The only difference is the level of the risk involved. I realised that most of the time, I refused to take the step forward because I was so worried about the risks involved. Lots of opportunities were lost as a result. Thus, I believe that having the willingness to take risk will greatly help me in making future decisions.

Learning Strategies

My approach on learning would be through researching on the Internet, interaction with the locals and observation of the people, surroundings and events.

- Through researching on the internet, I would be able to understand the basic background of Tianjin, China.

- Through interaction with the locals, I would be able to understand what the lifestyles of the locals are.

- Though observation of the people, surroundings and events, I would be able to have my own understanding on the different aspects on Tianjin, China that may be different from what I have researched on the internet or have heard from others.

With the above learning approaches, I believe that I will be able use them to gain new knowledge regarding Tianjin, China on this trip.