Watch the movie Iron and Silk on the SYSU intranet.
China is always changing but China never changes.
Front Stage culture changes rapidly. Back Stage cultures changes at a snail’s pace.
Identify the changes in TEFL since Mark Salzman taught in China and identify those things that have not changed.
Post your comments.
I watched the movie Iron and Silk two weeks ago in my spare time. There are not astonishing plots and tremendous special effects, it is just a plain and simple story, but it really touches my heart.
I admire the leading character Mark Salzman not only for his perseverance and diligent in practicing calligraphy and Chinese Kung-Fu, but also for his conscientiousness in English teaching. His courage and perseverance is worth studying. This is one point that I learnt from this movie.
We can see in this movie that lots of teachers and students learnt English, as an English teacher Mark Salzman used many methods to make his English classes not so boring, such as let them talk about something interesting they had experienced instead of read books. He also encouraged the students to speak English bravely. He created a very relaxed and pleasant English learning environment which is very different from the dull and dry ESE in this university. What’s more, some students who are also the teachers of this university had partly changed their attitude to western countries and westerners gradually. I think these are the changes in TEFL since Mark Salzman taught in China. But in early 1980s, many people are also conservative, the traditional minds also exist, so changes are only partly.
This movie show us the life including the learning, conceptions and many other aspects of modern-day China from a foreigner’s point of view, worth us watching.
I think the movie IRON AND SILK is very special in that years.From a foreigner’s angle to see what was Chinese ideas and culture customs in the 1990.I realize there are two main lines in this movie.One is that Mark learned Martial arts.The other is that reflects Chinese thoughts and notions in the first years of open to the outside world.The word iron means the spirit of Chinese Kungfu. Mark grasped the essentials and learned well at last after he praticed a lot and eaten a lot of bitter.And the word silk means the tender emotion of people in China that time .So I think this title is very meaningful.
After I had watched the movie,I think Mark changes many things in the TEFL.Firstly,in his class,the atmosphere is very active,not inanition.He gives his sdutents spaces to think and talk.He almost uses no book in his class.He is a very lucky dog.Because there are many good friends around him.He also has a very good gungfu teacher.He learnt many things from him.He can only change things in his class and many other things he can’t change.Most peoples mind are very conservative and antiforeign,although some are open. A new culture can’t be accepted at a time.only being little by little.It need more people to understand it.
From the movie we can reminds of the era when China opened up to the world originally. With the eyes filled with novelty look at the foreigners：their yellow hair，big nose，blue eyes and so on. With the attitudes of two extremes treat the foreign culture.At the same time，foreigners started to learn about china and Chinese culture. They tried to accept Chinese culture and were addictive in it. The beginning of the communications with each other is so important for the following development of china.Though I think there is a long way for china to go to achieve the goal，the local culture should not be ignored，and the balance is a difficult problem to be resolved.
A classic movie! It brings back our memories to the 1980′s in China. Mark Salzman who went to China in 1982 – 1984 to teach english and learn wushu shows us the particular time that China began its policy of reformation and opening. It also shows a lot of insight into Chinese culture and what China was like. “We say goobye now,at the end of the brige,i will get off your bike and we will never meet again.” This dialogue shocks me deeply, and we could find great differences between the two countries’ culture through the movie.
My teacher told us we had to watch this movie and make comment on it. I did not want to because I had never heard of it. But I have to finish my work.Well, I went into watching this movie with low expectations. It only took about 5 minutes before I was totally interested in it. It is a true story about an American guy named Mark Salzman who went to China in 1982 – 1984 to teach English and learn wushu. He taught in Changsha, but the movie was filmed in Hangzhou in 1987 – 1989. It really interested me because it showed a lot of insighst into Chinese culture and what China was like in the 1980′s. It is the only one that reflected the age of ordinary Americans and the Chinese how to face the political, cultural and ideological conflict in the film. There is no political ambitions, there are sincere exchanges.
It tells the story of an American guy named Mark who went to China in 1982 to teach English and learn Wuschu. The movie shows a lot of insight into Chinese culture and what China was like in the 1980′s when China was licking her years cut. It needed a long time to renew, so a foreigner of recklessness was unacceptable by the old Chinese. Then, at the time of teaching the persons who had incurred cultural revolution, Mark was taught deeply by this laggard country. How to eat bitter, how to handle complicated matters with great ease during the age of turbulence, how to respect a kind of unintelligible etiquette and how to love a traditional girl. Iron, the fists that the master had practiced, was the faith of the country after her weeping; Silk, the beauty of softness, was the depth of repentance and helpless.
About two weeks ago,I watched this movie.It really touched me so much.The leading role Mark Salzman adopted many kinds of teaching methods,such as talk freely in the classroom,or say something that they are interested in.As a resullt,the environment and academic atmosphere in Mark Salzman’s class are very active and exciting.However,as in our class,our Chinese English teachers only read the books for students!Actually,some teachers have changed this way of teaching,they began to create a relaxed atmosphere for our students,and they also change to use new methods to teach us,just like watching English movies in the class,taking a presentation to other students or playing games during the teaching process.But what has not changed is in the process of teaching,most of the teachers even using Chinese!So,we do not have an ESE to practice and improve our English,especialy oral English and the ability of listening.
So,this movie tell us something about our false teaching methods in certain aspcet,and we should put much emphasis on this negative phenomenon.
This movie made a big impression on me : appreciation of cultural differences between East and West, appreciation of martial arts, and the lingering sadness that political stupidity could prevent two average people who loved each other from being together. Although I only saw the film once back then, I regarded it as one of the best films I’d ever seen because it made such a lasting impression. It even taught me to say “How are you?” and “Thank you” in Chinese, which remain the only Chinese language I know to this day!
The background of the story is at the very begining of reform and opening-up, in the 1980′s. Chinese people experienced wars and Cultural Revolution were so sensitive and defensive toward new things , with traditional culture deeply rooted in their mind.Mark as an English teacher was confused by these at first, and he tried to change things and people when he was changed to comprehend more chinese culture including Wushu and etiquette .Even he couldn’t melted into this country totally, he was remembered by his master ,his lover and his students. It is the era that was so differentt . 20 years later, time changed and is changing , as well as people,and somethings keep as it is for long .If Mark comes to China again he would melt into more ,but still not totally.
In my view, Mark did change many things in the TEFL. He created a very interesting and pleasant English learning environment for his students, also made them confident to speak English freely, which was very important for a English learner. But the changes are only partial. The story happened in the early 1980s. At that time, China just begun the reform and opening-up. Thus, many people were still conservative, the traditional minds also existed. But, today, everything is different, we can easily supply ourselves the relaxed and valuable ESE, why do not we do this immediately. what are you waiting for？
For the Chinese, the West and everything of the West were unfamiliar in those years. At the same time, for the Western, the whole China was mysterious and attractive. Kung Fu was important one of the representatives. Because China had just opened her door to the world. And the movie “Iron and Silk” gave us an overview about that situation. Mark and his students wanted to learn from each other. Because they did not know much about each other. But Mark would learn much more because of his courage to try. He changed his way to teaching English many times. He wanted that his students were interested in his class. The Chinese were shy to ask too much at most times. That caused some trouble in the communication, too. The country’s history and the way of the development had contributed to this situation. We had a long history, so we had some things that the West didn’t have. We needed time to heal the wounds of war, so we were not totally ready for foreigners’ coming. Mark knew that after his teaching and learning. Learning and thinking was very good, and I was always thinking about the development of China through those days.
I watched this movie this morning,I am shocked by this movie,it is instuctive to me,I had never knew a foreigner who loves China encounters so much in China when he is only want to feel the Chinese culture.There are many foreigners who really love China,they are interested in our 5000 years culture,they are interested in our history,our customs,our society.But our stupid polices make many hindrances for them,maybe they will be defeated by these hindrances and dare not to get close to this country.It is bad result and it will do not help our communication with the other couuntries.
The movie iron and silk, talks about an American guy named Mark Salzman who went to China in 1982-1984 taught English in Changsha and at the same time learned wushu. The movie really interested me because it shows a lot of insight into Chinese culture and what China was like in the 1980′s. China has had such an incredible change over the past 20 years. And at that stage, Chinese culture changed rapidly. But after this stage, we are surprised to find that China changes at a snail’s pace. Why? In my opinion, the developments of things always develop rapidly at the front stage, and when the things reach a mature stage, the pace of development will be slow. This situation is very common in our daily life. I recommend this movie to the Chinese who want to see China through foreigners’ eyes, and to foreigners who want to see what China was like 20 years ago. It’s really interesting.
In my spare time, I see the movie Iron and Silk that a lot of teachers and students learned English. However, one of teachers called Mark who went to China in 1982 to teach English and learn Wushu used many ways to teach English so as to make his English class interesting. He encouraged his students to speak English bravely because Chinese are very shy and talk about something that is interesting instead of read books. He wanted more students to speak and learn English so that he created a relaxed and happiness English learning environment.
Besides, it makes me a deep impression because it shows a lot of insight into Chinese culture and what China was like in the 1980′s.
In short, the movie told us to go on learning in the life. If we want to get a good result and more interesting to learn something, we should modify some ways to make our study interesting and make us more motivate to learn.
I was be shocked by this movie. From now on the policy of opening and reforming has go through 31 years . In this years the nation of china has gradually know the other countries and other countries peoples have know parts of china. But as we known , in many country of china ,people can’t accept their children marry the people of other countries, they think that their children should marry somebody who is Chinese. But this situation has changed ,some people has accept the situation.
I like this movie, because it shows a picture of China of more than twenty years ago. I was just born at that time. And I know very little about that era. It is very interesting to see how people wear, speak, behavior, and live at that time.
In the movie, the foreigner and the local Chinese misunderstood each other and conflicted at first, then learned to like each other. I think this often happens in our daily life, although we are all from the same country. People often have conflict just because they misunderstand each other. So communication is very important.
As for the change of China, “ China is always changing but China never changes”. Of course, China will never change herself into America! We have our own culture. Why should we discard them all? There are many good virtues in Chinese people. When we are learning from the Western Civilization, we cannot abandon our own virtues.
In the movie,it show us a quite moving love story.A man from Italy inhabit in china for learning practicing calligraphy and Chinese Kung-Fu as an English teaching in university.However,in another aspect,we can learn more from the movie.
As we can see,though Mark came to China not for making the student learning English well,actually,he devoted himself to innovate student’s intrinsic motivation.He used a great deal of methods which I have never seen before.And it come out to be excellent result,not only the students have great passion on speaking English,but also the other teacher in the university changed their attitude and impression on western country.It brought an non-estimable influence in the campus,as his action create English speaking environment and show an good example to other study.Learning motivation is the most important things in our study.
The movie tell us about an American’s experience in China named Mark Salzman. Mark were very interesting in Chinese cultures. So in 1982 he went to China to teach English and learn Chinese calligraphy and Kung-Fu. He used many methods to make many students love to learn English, such as let them talk about something interesting they had experienced instead of read books. He had partly changed the Chinese students’ attitudes about western countries and westerners gradually, but in early 1980s, many people are also conservative, the traditional minds also exist, so changes are only partly.
The film tells us a story about an American people, Mark, who came to china to teach English and learn Chinese Kung-Fu in 1980s. The film reveals the culture shock and the state of china at the beginning of reform and opening up. We can know the Chinese people’s ideas, attitudes and mentality to foreign culture. On the other hand, the foreigners began to understand Chinese people and culture. Mark was one of them and was addictive in Chinese culture. I think the film has a good name—iron and silk. The iron is on behalf of the Chinese people’s strong character and the silk is on behalf of the Chinese people’s delicate emotion.
China is a country with long history. I think Chinese people are a group of people who love our culture deeply and we don’t want westernization in some aspects, especially in the early 1980s when China just enforced the reform and opening up policy. So, just like the movie iron and silk shows us, people were try to assimilate the foreigners who came to China to teach English. China is such an amazing country that it attracts foreigners with Chinese food, Kong fu and many other things. Up to now, China has 30 years reform history and this indeed brings profound changes to China. People in China are more and more open minded and China plays prominent role in the world. It’s much easier for our generation to accept the western life style or concept. This is also a result of globalization. We don’t want to be lagged behind, so we learn form foreign countries with modest. But, deeply in our heart, I guess something will never change for most of the Chinese. That’s the love for our Chinese culture. No matter how the world changes, deeply in my heart, Chinese culture will never fades out.
I watched this movie a month ago, the movie is about Mark Salzman came to China to teach English in the early 1980s. His teaching method is different from the tradition, he seldom used the textbook but talked with the students about some topics they are interested, he made friends with them through them he learnt more about Chinese culture and the statue of being conservative. Mark’s teaching maybe have made some changes to TEFL, because his students were college English teachers, they would learn a lot from his teaching and delivered to their students, but eventually people who benefited from the teaching were relatively few. Since he just stayed in China for only two years, and China is a conservative country then, a reform in English must be very difficult and unaccepted.
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), which is merely considered as a boring but necessary lesson, appears so uninteresting, costs us so much time and money, and finally proved a totally failure. Pains, but no gains. So here comes the question, how can we change this situation for ourselves, maybe the latecomers? This movie shows something important. Just as the ESE calling, it’s the best way to learn English as a foreign language with oneself immersing in an English speaking environment. I think these are the changes in TEFL since Mark Salzman taught in China. As for the unchanged things, traditional ideology, unopened minds, a much more wealthy economy all through this country can change it when people contacting with more cultures.
Well, I went into watching this movie with low expectations. But I was totally interested in it. It is a true story about an American guy named Mark Salzman who went to China to teach English and learn kongfu. He taught in Chang sha, but the movie was filmed in Hang zhou.
It really interested me because it shows a lot of insight into Chinese culture and what China was like in the past 20 years. China has had such an incredible change over the past. I recommend this movie to the Chinese who want to see China through a foreigners eyes, and to foreigners who want to see what China was like 20 years ago.
Mark went to China because of his love and yearning to Chinese wushu culture especially. I was shocked by the movie when I finished it. It took me back to that times. Through the movie, not only can foreigners feel the clash of civilizations, but also the Chinese people can deeply feel the China’s large changes deeply.
China has put the policy of reformation and opening into practices for more than 30 years. China has encountered a tremendous change both on the physical and the spirits. Previously, China cannot fully accept foreign things and ideas. Now China has gone on deep cultural exchange with other countries, many people have accepted many thoughts. China is open now and china has made a great progress, now the foreigners will no longer be treated by the previous treatment.
I think “Iron and Silk” is an interesting movie. What a huge culture shock Mark Salzmann encountered when he just arrived in China. However, he overcame the difficulties and did a good job. After seeing the movie, I was deep in thought. Why people who came from different countries could be friends with each other? Why they could live in harmony though they underwent completely different cultures. Maybe, kindness is the point of similarity between nations. The movie showed us the warmth of friendship and humanity.
The story is about that a young man and a young lady.the young man named Mark Salzman always was interested in Kung-Fu and the Chinese culture.1982, with a degree in Chinese literature, he visits a province university in China for two years to teach Chinese teachers the English language. He learns the refinements of correct behavior among Chinese people, makes friends with his pupils, falls in love with the young doctor Ming.After watching the movie,I drop into thought.I know that there are many foreigners who love china and look up to chinese culture. In the last few years ,the china’s policy is perfecting day by day.and the problon will never happen again.Now china is develepping rapidly,the communication between china and foreign countries is increasing, it can accelerate the understanging and know each thers.I think to changing the issue it will take a long time.
Iron and Silk is a movie about a ture story, it describes that Mark, an American, came to China to teach English and learn Chinese kung fu in 1982. It’s very funny as the differences between Chinese and American cultures. Nowadays more and more people study English in China and teaching facilities and equipment
Iron and Silk is a movie about a ture story, it describes that Mark, an American, came to China to teach English and learn Chinese kung fu in 1982. It’s very funny as the differences between Chinese and American cultures. Nowadays more and more people study English in China and teaching facilities and equipment are more modern than before, but most people still do things in the traditional mode of thoughts and English is also not used in their daily life.I think it’s the reason for the state that back stage cultures changes at a snail’s pace.
It is a true story about an American teacher named Mark who went to China to teach English and learn wushu. The background of the story is at the very begining of reform and opening-up. At that time China is not very understanding to the world, I admired him very much. He was very interested in wushu. But wushu is very difficult to learn and his teacher was very strict with him. He didn’t give up . At last he learned wushu very well. At the sometime he taught Chinese English . His class was very active and funny.The Chinese students learnt a lot in his class. He got along well with Chinese people and liked Chinese traditional culture. It’s rare in that years. However he must go back to USA . it’s a pity. The word iron may mean the spirit of Chinese Kungfu. Mark grasped the essentials and learned well at last after he practice a lot and eaten a lot of bitter. And the word silk may mean the tender emotion of people in China that time .So I think this title is very meaningful. Almost 20 years later ,china become more opened to the world and more and more people have a deep understanding of china.
A day without seeing her (him), is like three seasons. That is to say, many things have been changed since two decades passed after China take her efforts to practise in reform and opening up without any doubt. During those time, Chinese people were suffered various concussion such as culture shock, conception collision. I don’t wanna express my feeling that the movie Iron and Silk is out of style. But in contrast, it give us much more time to take those time into consideration and think about what we have be successful in and what we have been lost in. To be honest, Mark Salzmann tried his best to teach our predecessors and bring much fresh air into our country especially succeed in promote the atmosphere in the class. Further, he keeped on studying Chinese culture such as calligraphy and Chinese Kung-Fu. In a manner of speaking, he builded the bridge urging different cultures and ideas to be intercommunicating and fusing. So, from my viewpoint, the movie is meaningful enough for us to be appreciated.
In my eyes, this movie is a great one which reflect the conflicts between Chinese culture and foreign culture. On the basis of real experience of Mark Salzman who lived in China, the movie also reveals that China was under drastic cultural change during 1980s. People were keen on the foreign cultures and life, whereas the government set some limitation to outside. The conent of this movie is great for understanding the cultural conflict. Mark made his class relaxed and free, but what he did just changed his class. Most TEFL class was boring. The teacher just read the book to the student, and taught them to recite the words.
My first impression of the movie is warm. China does have changed a lot since Mark Salzman taught in China. Not only the economy has developed significantly, but also the culture has changed. For instance, at that time inviting foreigner was a risk. The view of the western country was extreme. When they argued about which newspaper told the true about dropping an atom bomb into Japan. One teacher said that our newspapers are controlled by the people, your newspapers are owned by the capitalist to earn money. Another teacher comforted Mark: “any capitalist country will do that. It is not just your country.” And people in love with each other wouldn’t kiss in the public. All of these things have changed.
But something still remains the same. When some guest drop in on you, you should serve some tea or something to eat, even they are not thirsty or hungry. Respecting teacher is still a virtue in China, as the call teacher Mark. It seems that Chinese people are indifferent, but in the deep heart, Chinese are still so kind, hospitable and warm.
After I had watched the movie,I realize there are two main lines in this movie.One is that Mark learned Martial arts.The other is that reflects Chinese thoughts and notions in the first years of open to the outside world.The word iron means the spirit of Chinese Kungfu.I think Mark changes many things in the TEFL.Firstly,in his class,the atmosphere is very active,not inanition.He gives his sdutents spaces to think and talk.He almost uses no book in his class.He is a very lucky dog.Because there are many good friends around him.We don’t want to be lagged behind, so we learn form foreign countries with modest. But, deeply in our heart, I guess something will never change for most of the Chinese. That’s the love for our Chinese culture. No matter how the world changes, deeply in my heart, Chinese culture will never fades out.
I have seen this film for three times, I can see the different culture between China and American ,and the different between the early time of reform and open and now days. With the development of our country we changed a lot, we become more open and can catch the step of world development. Now days a lot of people from abroad also can’t understand Chinese people, it’s nature. So what’s important thing is, I think, is respect. Respect the people from other country; respect our parents and grandparents although some thing seems wrong. For ourselves we should refresh our mind and adjust new environment.
It’s a very good film,I like it very much,I repeat it again after I finished watching it.It’s very beautiful film,though somewhat sentimental. The scene in the film is so beautiful,just like a dream.The director is clever enough to choose Hangzhou as the background city.
In this film,iron means his Wushu teacher,teacher Pan.Silk means Mark’ girlfriend Ming,and his Chinese teacher Teacher Hei.Iron means eat bitter,silk means the love,from Ming ,the love given by a lassie, motherhood given by Teacher Hei Mark learned Wushu from Chinese teacher – Teacher Pan,learned the way of living in China from Teacher Hei.And Chinese middle aged teacher learned English from Mark,they learned things from each other,and as time went by .They knew more about each other.In fact,Chinese people are friendly,and Mark is not spirit pollution.And maybe the most important thing they learned from each other is the way of thinking.Mark understood the meaning of eating bitter,and Chinese middle aged teacher understood the meaning of suspicion.
I really love this film, gentle but meaningful. Previously I can only imagine what happened in China in 1980s, this time the film told me from the eyes of a foreigner. I have to say that although Mark is a foreigner, he has some characteristics of the Chinese people. He is so diligent in practicing Chinese Kung-Fu, so responsible in teaching the teachers and so persistent when he fell in love with a girl. He was courageous to do what he thought was right, however, some foreign customs are different from Chinese’, and the Chinese people were so conservative in that period. What surprises me most is that even the teachers can speak comprehensible English so well in that period, What about us? The post graduate students from the 8th university in China in the 21st century. Maybe all of us should think about the film and do something for ourselves.
This is an old movie and I wonder why it called iron and silk. The movie is about the experience of a young man who name is Mark came to China the time when China just opens his door for foreigners. The movie includes a lot of things which belongs to China, like KungFu, Chinese operas and shadowboxing. There are something else which seems strange in a foreigner’s eyes, like the girls are shy and people didn’t talk about love and didn’t show love to the people they loved. At that time, it seems to be wrong when a Chinese girl fall in love with a foreigner. Well, yes, China really had some old traditions which are not quite reasonable. So what we should do is pass down the good tradition and throw away the wicked one.
This afternoon I saw the movie ‘Iron and Silk’. And I think the name of the movie has other meanings. We know that iron is hard and difficulty to change, while the silk is soft and easy to change. And also the iron and silk stand for ‘iron fist’ and ‘Taiji’ , the different types of Wushu. And I find the ‘iron and silk’ in the TEFL.
We have learned English form reform and open. Firstly, at that time the object of learning English maybe only follow the notional policy, so we learned English, instead of Russian. But now we learn English for more aims, such as, job, go abroad and so on. Secondly, at that time, they learned English from the sentence at first, while we learn from ABC step by step now. Thirdly, the classroom’s atmosphere and the books are also different. But we also keep shy in the classroom and we learn English only form the books. I think there are many ways to learn English.
I have already saw the movie” Iron and Silk” in my spare time, the movie is not very interesting or having a complicated plot, but it has a important meaning in education. Mark Salzman, the leading character in the movie, is very smart, friendly, handsome and diligent. He is not only take great effort in practicing calligraphy and Chinese Kung-Fu, he also has interested in tai chi. In the movie, he falls in love with a young lady who was studied abroad, though they love each other, they can not be together because of the conservative ages in China, people do not like to communicate with the foreigners, do not want the foreigners to study Chinese cultures, not alone to marry them. But we also see the hope in the movie, the teacher in Chinese Kung-Fu finally teach the foreigner the Kung-Fu .besides, he want to study English and lots of people who did not like the foreigner first are like him at last. These imply that China will change the conservative ideas and open up to the world. we will welcome the foreigners to China and communicate the cultures between Countries. Compared nowadays to the early 1980s in the movie, we can see that a great changes has happened in China, especially the concept of expelling foreigners or foreign things. But there still something can not change ,it is the spirit contained in Chinese Kung-Fu that can not change, it is symbol of Chinese wu shu culture,many people should learn English like that.
Among many movies professor Martin introduces to us, this movie “Iron and Silk” is my favourite. Because it is about China, our great and dear motherland and brave hard-working Chinese people. I felt so amiable and moved while I was watching it. As a foreigner, Mark came to HangZhou to be an English teacher. He had to learn to familiar with Chinese culture, because of culture shock between China and America. The road was long and hard, but he had done a good job. His strong love and passion for Chinese martial arts won the heart of teacher Pan, who taught him kongfu later. There were other people who also cared for him and helped him. Teacher Hei, who taught Mark Taiji, calligraphy and Chinese etiquette. And the beautiful girl, who fell in love with him, made him happy. His hard working and intelligence made him progress in martial arts, learning Chinese and Chinese custom and so on. When he was an English teacher, he tried his best to provide a light-hearted environment for the students, which had good results. In the movie, we can see how Chinese in the 1990s treated and viewed foreigners, and we can also find some changes. Unfortunately, those things that have not changed is more significant, including discrimination against foreigners and misconception of foreign cultures. Anyhow, that is past China, people in China today is more open, they can accept more and understand more.
Something changes rapidly and something remains stable which is the spirit of the movie Iron and Silk. The movie is from a foreign teacher’s view and bring us back to the early 1980s when China just began the reform and tried to open to the world. Many scenes in the movie is memorable, reminding us of those years in China. The years glided by, it is 2009 now. What I want to say is that, Iron and Silk is still playing on today, China is always changing but China never changes. Our products sell aboard, we travel aboard and foreigners travel in, we put English in the front position, we proclaim that China is a open country, however, in the Chinese inner mind, we are still conservative, we can’t truly accept different cultures or even allow different values to exist, we are defensive of any harmful latent dangers any time.
I have seen the movie last weekends. It only took about 5 minutes before I was totally interested in it. It is a true story about an American guy named Mark Salzman who went to China in 1982 – 1984 to teach English and learn wushu. He taught in Changsha, but the movie was filmed in Hangzhou in 1987 – 1989.
It really interested me because it shows a lot of insight into Chinese culture and what China was like in the 1980′s. China has had such an incredible change over the past 20 years. I recommend this movie to the Chinese who want to see China through a foreigner’s eyes, and to foreigners who want to see what China was like 20 years ago.
“We say goodbye now, at the end of the bridge, I will get off your bike and we will never meet again.” Ming said to Mark slowly, trying to hide her sad. Maybe just because she knew what made them broke up, she said she looked forward to dream in which she could live freely.
It’s truly a little sad story. But the reason that it interested me is because that it shows a lot of insight into Chinese culture and what China was like in the 1980′s. China has had such an incredible change over the past 20 years. I recommend this movie to the Chinese who want to see China through a foreigner’s eyes, and to foreigners who want to see what China was like 20 years ago.
After watching the movie iron and silk, I know the numerous changes in china over the past 20 years. Iron and silk introduce that a young American named Mark, who learn Chinese in university because he like Chinese Kongfu, came to changsha of china to be a doctor. The time he came to china is 1982,the period of reform and opening in china, changsha is not coastal city, so it reserve the unique Chinese culture. Mark write down what he saw in changsha. The movie infers culture shock between west and china, the topic of happiness, love, foreigners , condition of spirit , at that time the wushu teacher did not think about salary, they think about how to develop wushu. I feel this is a classical movie that reflect the huge changes in the period of reform and opening. It is worthy to watch. though china have developed rapidly, but there are a long road to go on.
EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS IS IP THEFT
THIS POST IS PLAGERIZED FROM A True Kung-Fu Story, 2 August 2003
Author: youneedsome from Houston, TX
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099857/usercomments
This is a film about a young man who finds himself visiting China just after China was opened to the west. Mark Salzman plays himself in this autobiographical film about his cross-cultural adventure overseas. ‘Teacher Mark’ teaches English and wants to study kung-fu under Master Pan, a kung-fu legend even in America, who was immortalized in movies. Master Pan’s reluctance to teach him kung-fu drives him even more and the friendship that develops between them provides substance for this movie. A love interest surfaces and together all of these elements don’t really add up to a blockbuster but you will find is a story with a lot of heart. The acting is substandard but any kung-fu fan or film enthusiast will appreciate what the movie offers. Don’t expect a slick production or big time special effects and you should have fun with this movie about the fulfillment of a dream and one young man’s uncommon achievement
The story, in the movie IRON AND SILK, happened in the early 1980s. It was just in the early 1980s that Mark Salzman went to China to teach English and learn Chinese-kungfu. It was just in the early 1980s that China begun the reform and opening-up. In that time, traditional culture rooted deeply in the mind, people hardly accept foreign things,including foreign language, foreign education.But I think Mark had changed many things in the TEFL. He provided very interesting English learning environment for his students and his students could speak freely. At least his students begun accepting foreign language. Today, we all are improving our English, more and more people learn foreign language.At the same time,we learn the advanced technology to build our country.We are changing, our country is changing, become more flourishing.
I really like this movie.Immidiately had I saw the name “iron and silk” I was curious about the name.What does iron refer to?And silk?I noticed the iron plate in teacher Pan’s hand and a pink silk scarves covering Ming’s head.Iron always means strength and silk always means softness.I think they represent many things:iron as Wushu and obstinate aspect of Mark……silk as sweet love story and gentle Mark……
Come back to TEFL topic,in Mark’s class,students don’t need to read boring books they can do free talk and express their opinion freely.Now twenty years past,I think the changes in TEFL is there are more available materials,technologies and resources to take advantage of(audio-visual materials;multimedia technology;network and various access to BBC, CNN and other English news channels).Something unchanged is the idea about basic teaching methods:from words and grammars to sentences;from reading and writing to listening;from one grammar book to one exercise book,the last thing is to speak.
I watched the movie in my spare time, which told us the story that Salzman captured post-cultural revolution China through his adventures as a young American English teacher in China and his shifu-tudi (master-student) relationship with China’s foremost martial arts teacher. The movie was thought-provoking and it was instuctive to me, I had never knew a foreigner who loved China encounters so much in China when he only wanted to feel the Chinese culture. He wanted more students to speak and learn English so that he created a relaxed and happiness English learning environment. It was also an interesting movie that it showed a lot of insight toward Chinese culture and China had such an incredible change over the past 20 years. In a word through the movie we could learn many, we should love our nation and keep studying in a good way.
After receiving the email from my professor Martin, I watched the movie “Iron and Silk”. I know that it talks about an American man named Mark Salzman came to China to teach English and learn Kung-Fu. It also touches me so much. The leading character made many kinds of methods of learning English. He created a relaxed and pleasant environment of learning English in order to teach more people, just like Holistic English in China. He also encouraged students to speak English bravely, which is just a right method of learning English. Besides, this movie also shows that what china is through a foreigner’s eyes.