Great Change

Yongjuan Feng ESL 100 03-03-2011 Essay 2
Great Change
Have you ever noticed that a lot of foreigners are learning Chinese? My friend's daughter has a Chinese course , and she told me that many of her classmates are foreigners. Why are so many people learning Chinese now? Because China is an awake lion nowadays. China is developing fast, and it is one of the strongest economies in the world now . Also, the trade market in China will be bigger in the future. It is the Reform and Opening up policy of Deng Xiao Ping that woke up the sleeping lion. The Reform and Opening policy changed China a lot, and it affected my family and me in many ways.
 

The Reform and Opening policy made a great change in education. There was a significant slogan in Mr Deng' s policy, that was known as "Education is the bedstone of a long-range program". Thus, the government put the policy into practice. They invested a lot of money in education, so students paid less money for their education. the tuition now is only ten yuan per term for a student. My parents had four children. The tuition was a lot of money if we didn't meet the Reform and Opening policy, my parents couldn't offer so much money for us, maybe some of us didn't get any education, but we did. We all got very good education. At the same time, the policy is a permission for Chinese people to trade with foreigners, but how can the businessmen communicate with each other? The foreigners didn't know Chinese, so the government added one more subject in the school, it was English. Chinese people wanted to learn English to welcome and do business with the foreign businessman . As a result, my sisters and I learned English when we were students, it is easy for me to live in Chicago now. Also, my sister became an English teacher later, which is a secure job! Thanks to the policy.



 The Reform and Opening Policy pushed Chinese economy forward. During the policy implementation, many businessmen from all over the world established factories in some special zones. They usually chose some coastal areas because it was convenient for the transport. Of course there were a lot of new buildings in our hometown; also, there were many sino-foreign joint ventures. My brother worked in one of the factories, and he earned a lot of money, at that time, my sister's salary was about two hundred yuan. By a comparison, my brother could earn more than nine hundred yuan. Later my-sister-in-law used the money my brother saved to open their own business. It could also improve our quality of life. Since more foreigners came into China, it has been luxuriant all over Guangdong, the foreigners also brought their culture . From then on , we could enjoy some fruit from the torrid zones, we could buy some home appliances made in Japan, we could use the perfume from France. We could enjoy all the material comforts, thanks to the Reform and Opening policy.

The Reform and Opening policy made great changes in ideology. Many Chinese people could feel their lives were better and better. When they had money in their pockets and when they had time, they were seeking for spiritual enjoyment, They wanted to look at the world outside. I often went to travel with my sisters when my sisters were on holidays. We have been to Korea, Singapore and Malaysia ,of course, we travelled in many interesting places in China. At the beginning of the policy implementation, many people said there was gold on the ground of the U.S., so many people were crazy about going abroad, and I am one of the people. As a result , I married a citizen of the U.S. and now I live in Chicago. I can't say I enjoy my life now because immigration gave me a lot of changes. I had to start my life from zero when I live in a new place. I must change myself a lot to adapt the new environment in Chicago. This is also the result from the Reform and Opening policy.

Because of the Reform and Opening policcy, there are a lot of difference between now and before in the education, economy and the minds of people. China is now a very powerful lion, so she can be a focus of the world's attention. she is stronger and stronger, she is richer and richer and she is totally different from the one thirty years ago. If you want to do business or find a good job in China, you should know Chinese. That is why so many foreigners are sending their children to learn Chinese. If there had never been this policy, what wouldChina be like, what would my life be like?