Memorandum
2007-06-22
A collection of advices and aphorisms for a sustainable Efficient increase of Bachelor, Master, and PhD studies of Chinese students at German Universities
Never give up! Never give up!
1. Advices for current students studying in courses taught in English As the formal prerequisites for English proficiency, mostly the following minimum scores are required: IELTS: level 6.0 TOEFL: 550 points (paper-based) / 213 points (computer-based). But all my experience shows me: this doesn’t mean the students can study effectively and to pass the exams successfully in or after the first semester, a fool’s paradise. The harsh reality begins in the first lectures. The teachers speak so fast that it’s impossible to follow the current sentence. Never mention to keep notes. An additional problem is then mostly the insufficiency to react fast on questions, to answer clearly and accurately, and to express oneself precisely. Many students are in such a situation frustrated, discouraged, tending to resign! This is the first decision step in your study. If you follow this frustration then you are lost and it’s impossible to pass the exams after the first semester successfully! My advice for students in this situation: Fight with all your power to improve your English every day, all your time (comprehensive listening, writing, express yourself, learn to think in English), never give up! They are video or audio records and scripts of many lectures. Watch/listen this records again and again and compare with the written texts. In this way you can understand step by step and more and more the lectures and can improve also your written English. Discuss; speak aggressively in English, with your teachers and with all your classmates (also with your Chinese classmates; forget your mother tongue for a time) about the content of the lectures. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. All nonnative English speakers make mistakes. This is also the best way to strengthen your self-confidence and to learn to withstand the oral exam pressure. In preparation to the oral exams, esp. after the first semester: Practice to understand questions about the lectures immediately and exactly and to answer clearly and carefully targeted. Do this with a partner who is a better English speaker than you, especially with a student of another nationality. Practice this like table tennis, faster and faster. In preparation to oral and written exams: Interview students of previous academic years about their exam experiences and about the exam questions of their courses. Include this important information in your exam preparation. Prepare your exam success meticulously! Don’t misunderstand me: the main target of your study is to accumulate knowledge and its application. But a good way to realize this goal is a good exam preparation! And to pass the exams successfully is the stepping-stones towards your academic career. They foster your self-confidence! Focus all your power to pass each exam in the first run and on time. Never forget: in Germany you aren’t only the Chinese Student X Y. You are China!
2.Advices for prospective students in courses taught in English Internalize 1. Mobilize all your power; use all opportunities to improve your English every day, all your time (comprehensive listening, reading, writing, express yourself, learn to think in English) here in China. This is one key for the success of your study. So you can shorten sustainably the adaption time. Discuss, speak offensively in English, with your teachers, with classmates, with foreigners, in the English corner etc. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. All nonnative English speakers make mistakes. Practice, train to understand questions immediately and exactly and to answer clearly and carefully targeted. Do this with a partner who is a better English speaker than you, especially with a foreign teacher or student. Train this like table tennis, faster and faster. Read English books, papers etc. Use the internet to improve your English. Good knowledge of every day English is important, but more important for your study is the specialized language competence.
3. Advices for prospective students in courses taught in German English and German are members of the same, the western group of the Germanic languages. More than 420 Million people worldwide are native English-speaking and there are 100 – 120 Million native German-speakers in Germany, Austria and in parts of Switzerland. Many words and many parts of grammar of both languages are very similar. However, the German language is more complicated than the English language and therefore more difficult to learn. So we have in the German language three genders of nouns with different definite articles (male: der, female: die, neuter: das) and the grammatical and the natural gender of the nouns are mostly different; in the English language we have for all genders the same article (the). Then we have in the German language stronger inflections (declination of nouns, pronouns and adjectives; conjugation of verbs). We have the problem “polite form of personal pronouns in the address”. An example. In English: “Would you give me a cup of tea, please?” In German: two different forms. If the person you want to address is a good friend or a relation of you, then “Würdest du mir bitte eine Tasse Tee geben?”, else “Würden Sie mir bitte eine Tasse Tee geben?” Note also the differences of the sentence construction (word order). There are many dialects in Germany and the German spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is also a little different in pronunciation, vocabulary and sentence construction. And nowadays we observe a high immigration rate of English words and phrases into the German language. I’ll teach you the High (Standard) German and the classic pronunciation. But I don’t want to teach in a classic academic way (vocabulary, grammar again and again), I prefer the more application-oriented and light-handed style of the textbook “Moment mal!”
My experience with Chinese students shows: a Chinese student who wants to study all round successfully in Germany should learn the basics of the German language before and here in China, also in the case that he (she) wants to study at a Master´s Program taught completely in English. A German-newcomer needs in any case a basic knowledge of German for the communication with offices (Studentenwerk, authority for foreigners, bank, etc.), for shopping, public traffic and as background for the studies of the German language (f.e. at TUDIAS) with the goal to pass the “German University Entrance Examination (DSH)”. Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Sprache
Englisch und Deutsch sind beide Mitglieder der Gruppe der westgermanischen Sprachen. Mehr als 420 Millionen Menschen weltweit sprechen Englisch als Muttersprache und es gibt 100 – 120 Millionen muttersprachlich Deutschsprechende in Deutschland, Österreich und in Teilen der Schweiz. Viele Wörter und viele Teile der Grammatik beider Sprachen sind sehr ähnlich. Die deutsche Sprache ist jedoch komplizierter als die englische Sprache und daher schwerer zu lernen. So haben wir in der deutschen Sprache drei Geschlechter der Substantive mit unterschiedlichen bestimmten Artikeln (männlich: der, weiblich: die, sächlich: das) und das grammatische und das natürliche Geschlecht sind meist unterschiedlich (der Tisch, die Lampe, das Messer); in der englischen Sprache haben wir für alle Geschlechter denselben Artikel (the). Dann haben wir in der deutschen Sprache stärkere Beugungen der Wörter (Deklination der Substantive, Pronomen und Adjektive; Konjugation der Verben). Wir haben das Problem „Höflichkeitsform der Personalpronomen in der Anrede“. Ein Beispiel. In Englisch: „Would you give me a cup of tea, please?“ In Deutsch: zwei verschiedene Formen. Wenn die Person, die man ansprechen will, ein guter Freund (eine gute Freundin) oder ein Verwandter (eine Verwandte) ist, dann „Würdest du mir bitte eine Tasse Tee geben?“, sonst „Würden Sie mir bitte eine Tasse Tee geben?“ Beachte auch die Unter-schiede des Satzbaus (der Wortfolge). Es gibt in Deutschland viele Dialekte und das in Deutschland, Österreich und in der Schweiz gesprochene Deutsch ist auch in Aussprache, Wortschatz und Satzbau ein wenig unterschiedlich. Und in der letzten Zeit beobachten wir eine hohe Einwanderungsrate englischer Wörter und Wortgruppen in die deutsche Sprache. Ich werde Hochdeutsch und die klassische Aussprache lehren. Aber ich möchte nicht in einer klassischen akademischen Weise lehren (Wortschatz und immer wieder Grammatik). Ich bevorzuge den mehr anwendungsorientierten und leichtfüßigen Stil des Lehrbuches „Momentmal!“
Meine Erfahrung mit chinesischen Studenten zeigt: ein chinesischer Student, der rundherum erfolgreich in Deutschland studieren will, sollte zuvor und hier in China die Grundlagen der deutschen Sprache lernen, auch für den Fall, dass er (sie) in einem vollständig englischsprachigen Masterprogramm studieren will. Ein Neuankömmling in Deutschland braucht auf jeden Fall Deutsch-Grundkenntnisse zur Kommunikation mit Ämtern (Studentenwerk, Ausländerbehörde, Bank usw.), zum Einkaufen, in öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln sowie als Hintergrundwissen für das Studium der deutschen Sprache (z.B. bei TUDIAS) mit dem Ziel, die „Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH)“ zu bestehen. German vocabulary, useful phrases, and information for my Chinese students and friends Part 1 Public means of transport in Dresden - vocabulary and phrases Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel in Dresden - Wortschatz und Wendungen bus tram Let´s go by bus/tram! Shall we take the bus/tram? bus stop tram stop Where is the nearest bus/tram stop? timetable The bus/tram leaves at 7:37. fare ticket monthly (season) ticket You need a monthly ticket in Dresden (for tram and bus). This monthly ticket costs 30 Euro (for students). ticket machine ticket stamping machine ticket control (inspection): "Your ticket, please!" to get on the bus/tram to change You must change at the next stop. der Bus die Straßenbahn Fahren wir mit dem Bus/ der Straßenbahn! Nehmen wir den Bus/ die Straßen- bahn? die Bushaltestelle die Straßenbahnhaltestelle Wo ist die nächste Bushaltestelle/ Straßenbahnhaltestelle? der Fahrplan Der Bus/ die Straßenbahn fährt um 7.37 ab. der Fahrpreis die Fahrkarte die Monatskarte Sie benötigen in Dresden eine Monatskarte (für Straßenbahn und Bus). Diese Monatskarte kostet 30 Euro (für Studenten). der Fahrkartenautomat der Fahrkartenentwerter die Fahrkartenkontrolle: "Bitte Ihren Fahrschein zur Kontrolle!" in den Bus/ die Straßenbahn ein- steigen umsteigen Sie müssen an der nächsten Haltestelle umsteigen.
traffic lights rush hour
die Verkehrsampel die Hauptverkehrszeit
Konjugation, Präsens (Gegenwart): Infinitiv: (in den Bus) einsteigen 1. Person, Singular ich steige (in den Bus) ein 2. Person, Singular du steigst (in den Bus) ein Sie steigen (in den Bus) ein 3. Person, Singular er/sie/es steigt (in den Bus) ein 1. Person, Plural wir steigen (in den den Bus) ein. 2. Person, Plural ihr steigt (in den Bus) ein Sie steigen (in den Bus) ein 3. Person, Plural sie steigen (in den Bus) ein
German vocabulary, useful phrases, and information for my Chinese students and friends Part 2 Food and drink Essen und Trinken
Staple/basic foods in Germany die Grundnahrungsmittel (pl.) in Deutschland bread das Brot white bread das Weißbrot black/brown bread das Schwarzbrot roll die Semmel, das Brötchen butter die Butter oil das Öl cheese der Käse curd cheese, quark der Quark milk die Milch tea der Tee coffee der Kaffee mineral water das Mineralwasser sugar der Zucker jam die Marmelade honey der Honig chocolate die Schokolade potatoes die Kartoffeln (pl.) rice der Reis noodles, pasta die Nudeln (pl.) meat das Fleisch sausage die Wurst
beef pork poultry chicken duck goose fish Vegetables tomatoes onions carrots cucumber cabbage beans sweetcorn Fruit apples pears plums peaches grapes pumpkin melon strawberries bananas oranges lemons Meals breakfast lunch dinner supper starter, hors doeuvres soup main course dessert Cutlery knife fork
das Rindfleisch das Schweinefleisch das Geflügel das Huhn die Ente die Gans der Fisch das Gemüse die Tomaten (pl.) die Zwiebeln (pl.) die Möhren (pl.) die Gurke der Kohl die Bohnen (pl.) der Mais das Obst die Äpfel (pl.) die Birnen (pl.) die Pflaumen (pl.) die Pfirsiche (pl.) die Weintrauben (pl.) der Kürbis die Melone die Erdbeeren (pl.) die Bananen die Apfelsinen, Orangen die Zitronen die Mahlzeiten das Frühstück das Mittagessen das Abendessen das späte Abendessen die Vorspeise die Suppe das Hauptgericht der Nachtisch das Besteck das Messer die Gabel
spoon teaspoon chopstick Dishes cup saucer glass plate dish bowl pot teapot
der Löffel der Teelöffel die Essstäbchen (pl.) das Geschirr die Tasse die Untertasse das Glas der Teller die Schüssel die Schale die Kanne, das Kännchen die Teekanne
In Dresden, one can shop cheap in the dicounter stores Lidl, Aldi, and Netto. In Dresden kann man in den Discountergeschäften Lidl, Aldi und Netto billig einkaufen.
German vocabulary, useful phrases, and information for my Chinese students and friends Part 3 Weather das Wetter What´s the weather going to be like today/ tomorrow? Wie wird das Wetter heute/morgen? weathernews weather report weather forecast weather outlook/prospects weather chart satellite picture It´s going to stay fine. It´s cold/warm/hot. It´s going to get colder/warmer/hotter. It´s sunny/cloudy/changeable/rainy/windy/ humid. It´s going to rain/snow. It looks like rain/snow. It´s raining (cats and dogs). It´s snowing. The visibility is good/moderate/bad. What´s the temperature today? It´s (plus)/minus twenty degrees Centigrade. (-20° C). die Wetternachrichten (pl.) der Wetterbericht die Wettervorhersage die Wetteraussichten (pl.) die Wetterkarte das Satellitenbild Es bleibt schön. Es ist kalt/warm/heiß. Es wird kälter/wärmer/heißer. Es ist sonnig/bewölkt(bedeckt)/wechselhaft/ regnerisch/windig/schwül. Es soll regnen/schneien. Es sieht nach Regen/Schnee aus. Es regnet (in Strömen). Es schneit. Die Sicht ist gut/mäßig/schlecht. Wieviel Grad haben wir heute? Es ist (plus)/minus zwanzig Grad Celsius
sky blue sky sun sunrise sunset moon star/stars cloud/clouds wind storm rain snow fog thunderstorm lightning/lightnings thunder shower umbrella frost flooding/floods www weathernews Germany/Europe/Asia/ Deutschland/ worldwide: Europa/Asien/weltweit: - http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather - http://wetter.spiegel.de/spiegel - www.wni.de
der Himmel blauer Himmel die Sonne der Sonnenaufgang der Sonnenuntergang der Mond der Stern/ die Sterne (pl.) die Wolke/ die Wolken (pl.) der Wind der Sturm der Regen der Schnee der Nebel das Gewitter der Blitz/ die Blitze (pl.) der Donner der Regenschauer/ der Schauer der Regenschirm/ der Schirm der Frost die Überschwemmung www-Wetternachrichten für
Textbook/Lehrbuch Moment mal! Lehrwerk ctionary for Primary School Learners in China. ISBN 7-5600-2537-4
German vocabulary, useful phrases, and information for my Chinese students and friends Part 4 Computer science and mathematics Informatik und Mathematik
computer science bioinformatics mathematics algorithm
die Informatik die Bioinformatik die Mathematik der Algorithmus
algorithm engineering, algorithm design, algorithmics binary algebraic operation arithmetic operation logical operation addition subtraction multiplication division commutative law associative law distributive law neutral element problem procedere solution to solve solving sequence series selection loop condition statement assignment termination condition alphabet vocabulary symbol character word string empty word concatenation language grammar code to encode to decode a plus minus times b equals， is equal c
die Algorithmenkonstruktion die zweistellige algebraische Operation die arithmetische Operation die logische Operation die Addition die Subtraktion die Multiplikation die Division das Kommutativgesetz das Assoziativgesetz das Distributivgesetz das neutrale Element das Problem die Vorschrift die Lösung lösen das Lösen die Folge die Reihe die Auswahl die Schleife die Bedingung die Anweisung die Wertzuweisung die Haltbedingung das Alphabet das Vokabular; der Wortschatz das Symbol das Zeichen das Wort die Zeichenkette das leere Wort die Wortverkettung die Sprache die Grammatik der Code (Kode) codieren decodieren a plus b gleich, ist gleich c
minus mal
divided by, over
durch
a greater than b less than equals a to the nth power power, basis, exponent Exponent the nth root of a expression linear, quadratic, cubic, algebraic, .. algebraische equation system of linear equations to solve for to substitute of … in equ. (1) substitution of x for y results in after transformation, rearrangement limit of the function f of x as x x approaches zero, infinity equals a a first, second, nth derivative of the function f of x vector n-by-m matrix coupling matrix row, column determinant of rank 2 linear, quadratic, cubic convergence acceleration of convergence tuning = adjust an engine so that it runs as well as possible
a größer als b kleiner als gleich a hoch n die Potenz, die Basis, der die n-te Wurzel von a der Ausdruck die lineare, quadratische, kubische, Gleichung das lineare Gleichungssystem auflösen nach einsetzen von … in Gl. (1) das Einsetzen von x für y ergibt nach Umformung erhalten wir der Grenzwert der Funktion f von fuer x gegen Null, Unendlich ist
erste, zweite, n-te Ableitung der Funktion f von x der Vektor die nxm Matrix die Kopplungsmatrix die Zeile, die Spalte die Determinante zweiter Ordnung die lineare, quadratische, kubische Konvergenz die Konvergenzbeschleunigung das Tuning = Verbesserung hin zur Grenze des Möglichen
data compression data transmission variable value function expression to assign assignment
die Datenkompression die Datenübertragung die Variable der Wert die Funktion der Ausdruck zuweisen die Zuweisung, Wertzuweisung
assign variable the value of expression
weise der Variablen den Wert des Ausdrucks zu
value of an expession = Wert eines Ausdrucks = Ergebnis, result when all the operations with the wenn alle Operationen mit den Werten values of all the variables, involved in aller Variablen, die in dem Ausdruck enthalten sind, the expression have been worked out ausgeführt wurden to write schreiben to read lessen to store, to save speichern to save under .. speichern unter .. to cancel, to delete löschen to display anzeigen to print drucken to search suchen to open öffnen to start starten to continue fortsetzen to close schließen to finish, to end beenden to edit bearbeiten to cut ausschneiden to paste markieren to copy kopieren to insert einfügen to select auswählen to shift verschieben to input eingeben to output ausgeben to process verarbeiten to transform umformen to rearrange umstellen to operate, to do, to work out ausführen
to send, to transmit to receive to translate to repeat to run a program to recognize to decide to reason to calculate to record if condition (ist rue) do action 1, aus, else action 2 assign variable the value of expression variable := expression
senden empfangen übersetzen wiederholen ein Programm laufen lassen erkennen entscheiden schlussfolgern, schließen berechnen, ausrechnen aufzeichnen wenn die Bedingung erfüllt ist, führe Aktion 1 sonst Aktion 2 weise der Variablen den Wert des Ausdrucks zu
while condition (is true) do action aus
solange die Bedingung erfüllt ist, führe die Aktion
repeat action until condtion (is true first time)
wiederhole die Aktion, bis die Bedingung zum ersten Male erfüllt ist
for loop control variable := initial von value to final value by step do action for c:=i to f by s do action
solange die Zählvariable c den Wertebereich Anfangswert i bis Endwert f mit der Schrittweite s durchläuft, führe die Aktion aus
References = I.Lewisch, A.S.Posamentier. Mathematisches Fachwörterbuch Englisch-Deutsch, Deutsch-Englisch. Wien 2000. ISBN 3-7029-0746-7 = http://www.mathematik.de/mde/information/fremdsprachen/englisch.html = http://www.dict.cc = http://dict.leo.org
proposition truth value (false, true) truth table
die Aussage der Wahrheitswert (falsch, wahr) die Wahrheitstabelle
Internalize 1. and 2. in the general sense.
4.Before you apply for any B, M, PhD study at any German university, read all course materials and information (content of the study, courses, prerequisites, how to apply, living in the university/ university city, grants, internships etc.) carefully!
5.Before you apply for any B, M, PhD study at any German university inform yourself carefully! About customs, life stile, habits, social manners, laws, authorities, offices, banks, public traffic means, shopping, etc. in Germany. So you can avoid misunderstanding, problems, disappointments, etc. Contact Chinese students studying in Germany.
6.What you can do to fight against inner problems: homesick, frustration, depression, social isolation, illness, etc. The best medicine is success (success in the exams, earn respect of the supervisor, admission of a paper, win a grant). You can organize your success. Prerequisites: self-motivated, hard-working, willing to learn.
7.Proposal for a training program for prospective students in Germany in B, M, PhD courses taught in English/ German A detailed training program is available.
8.American companies expect from applicants, esp. engineering graduates: Excellent broad and application-oriented knowledge + Creativity and flexibility + Achievement potential and motivation + Dependability + Exactness + Meticulousness + Commitment + Teamwork and team spirit + Sense of responsibility + Initiative of one’s own + Management and business know how.
9.Requirements in German engineering M and PhD exams: Ability to understand an exam question exactly in context with the lecture and to answer precisely targeted Exact reproduction of the knowledge presented in the lecture (vertices in the knowledge graph) Ability to find creative, esp. application-oriented connections of knowledge presented in the lecture or in other lectures，never discussed before (creative setting of edges in your knowledge graph). But this is the real proof: the student understood (or didn’t understand) the lecture completely. My experience shows: many Chinese students have here big problems and can’t pass, although they have learned all facts. THEY MUST TRAIN THIS ABILITY! This is only partly an English/German raining; it is mainly, essentially a training of scientific achievement potential and creativity. Creativity Ability to produce something new through imaginative skill, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form. (Britannica) Creativity, it has been said, consists largely of re-arranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know. (George Kneller) Innovation The classic definitions of innovation include: 1. The process of making improvements by introducing something new, 2. The act of introducing something new: something newly introduced, 3. The introduction of something new, 4. A new idea, method or device, 5. The successful exploitation of new ideas, 6. Change that creates a new dimension of performance. (Wikipedia)
10.Studying as teamwork Let me quote a student’s email: Mail headers From To Date View all headers View raw message Same sender.. Same recipient..
Liu Tianhai stoschek@tcs.inf.tu-dresden.de Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:08:18 +0800
Subject
Thank you so much, my professor View as HTML
Same subject..
Message text
My dear professor, Thank you for you letter so much. I love you. You help me so much, so much, even I do not know how can I balance it. Shelly always works with me, It is a good method to work together. Besides this, I also join a group formed by our new CE students, consisting 4 Chinese and 5 other no Chinese. In that group we can discuss together. I have learned much from that group. For Shelly, the Wunt Strasse where she lived before should be rebuilt, so she also moved to the same building-Geork Strasse 27-to me, then we can continue to study together in the future easily. And she is very happy when she knew you talked about her in the letter before last one, and she hopes you happy forever. I really want to see you immediately, and we invite you to our new room to have a chinese dinner, I promise it is not too hot. ^_^Yours Tianhai But you must also be able to study actively and successfully by yourself, this is the basis for a successful study in a group! There is a dialectic relation between the study by yourself and in your study group. And never forget: in the exam you are alone too!
11.Detect and promote special talented students Brilliant students are part of the national treasury Visionary and assertive generalists (f.e. Bill Gates/Microsoft, Sir Richard Branson/ Virgin, David Kelly/ IDEO) Successful random/chaotic strategists (f.e. Bobby Fischer/ random chess) Workoholics Autists Savants, synaesthetes in math/calculation are part of the national treasury See: Daniel Tammet. Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant. (2007) ISBN-10: 1416535072 More information is available.
12.Stress, depression etc. management methods for students abroad, an overview Details are available.
13.Think about: It is useful and feasible to establish a Resident for study and Chinese student affairs in the large German university cities? Resident’s prerequisites * Chinese citizen, he must serve Chinas interests, * Perfect in German language, customs and life style, * Knowledge of German laws and university laws and regulations in Germany and in Europe,
should also know a lot about European countries and USA, *Excellent skills in communication, organizing and leadership, * Integrated in the social life at the university/ies and the university city, * Good contacts to university/its management, city administration, immigration office, companies, bank, insurance, cultural facilities, language schools, etc. * Good and trustful connection to the Chinese Embassy in Germany, * Person of integrity, leading an irreproachable life, Studied and graduated (M, PhD) at a German University, scientific reputation, Resident’s mission * The resident is person of trust for the Chinese students in the university city (more than 800 Chinese students are studying currently in Dresden, and they have many problems!), esp. in cases of emergency in study and daily life. * He should have financial and other resources at his disposal to help in real cases of emergency. * He advises and helps Chinese newcomers regarding studying, offices, accommodation, banking, daily life, etc. in the University City and organizes such help for newcomers by experienced Chinese students. * He advises and looks after Chinese short-time students in the university city, f.e. participants in summer courses. * He must be able to advice German university applicants well-informed and binding about studying, living conditions, etc. in China. * The resident is also contact person for Chinese delegations visiting the local university/ies for a short time.
Resident’s status?
A collection of problems of Chinese students studying at the TU Dresden For your eyes only