泽熙美文Over the past few years, more and more Chinese parents have been sending their children abroad, believing the experience of studying abroad will pave the way for their children’s future success. Even now, this rush continues and has become very widespread. This phenomenon has drawn public attention, with people standing on both sides. It is my contention that sending teenagers abroad without proper preparation may do more harm than good to their development.
First of all, these teenagers may have difficulty adapting to the new environment which might be totally different from the homeland they are used to living in. Therefore, they will probably experience the so-called "culture shock". They may dislike the food, be unable to follow the teachers’s teaching method, or have problems dealing with people around them. As a result, they may find nothing goes well at the beginning and feel lonely and frustrated. If these teenagers are not well prepared psychologically, their character will probably be severely affected.
Moreover, for these youngsters’ language can be a great barrier, which may cause difficulty in both their daily life and their studies. As most of them have just graduated from middle schools when going abroad, their command of the foreign language is usually inadequate for living and studying in a foreign country. Consequently, they may find it hard to follow the teacher’s instructions and feel at a loss as to how to use the library and how to rent an apartment. The pressure of study and stress of life may make them feel anxious and upset, which may in turn affect their academic development.
In conclusion, teenagers studying abroad will probably have an extremely difficult time and their perspective of academic success will be far from their parents’s expectation. Sending teenagers abroad may be an unwise decision. Parents should be careful when making such a choice.
