Glo-Co Radio Presents: School Life in Different Cultures
THE OFFICIAL SCRIPT
This script is an actual transcript of the radio program,
including all colloquial speech. It is not intended to be
used as a model for formal, academic English; however,
[bracketed words] have been added to create a more
grammatically cohesive script.
1. Introduction
GORDON: This is Glo-co-radio. I am your host Gordon. This English Channel is
brought to you by "Glocality” and Cultural Literacy: HSMC English Enhancement
Project. This project is funded by the Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS)
from the Education Bureau (EDB) and the Tin Ka Ping Foundation. This project aims to
boost HSMC students’ cultural literacy; and allow them to better understand our glocal
culture and identity in cosmopolitan Hong Kong.
DAWN: And I am Dawn. Our team is a group of passionate students from various
disciplines, sharing an ambitious goal to introduce fascinating issues to you all. In our
previous episodes, we explored numerous cultural topics, such as Chinese New year in
different cultures. This year, we will keep on bringing you more enchanting topics. Stay
tuned!
DAWN: Okay, it’s time to introduce our members.
RYAN: I’m Ryan, a year four Marketing Major. I am the administrative officer in team.
GORDON: I’m Gordon, a BBA year two student. I am your post-production editor.
DAWN: Hi everyone, I’m Dawn. I am a year three student from BJC. My post is
technical officer.
ANNANNA: Hi, I’m Anna. I’m a year three student majoring in English. I am the
administrative officer.
CARMEN: Hi, I’m Carmen, a year four student studying Translation with Business. I am
one of the technical assistant.
KIRANNA: I’m Kira Wong and I’m currently a year two BBA student. I am the
technical officer of the team.
KITTY: Hello! My name is Kitty. I’m a year three Accounting major and I am the
technical officer.
GABRIELLA: Hi, my name is Gabriella. I’m year two BBA student and I am the
marketing officer in the radio team.
MARK: Hello guys! This is Mark. I’m majoring in Accounting and I’m a year three
student. I’m a new member of the team and I’m the post-production officer.
TERESA: Hi, my name is Teresa and I’m also one of the new members of the team. I’m
a year one student who is majoring in English and I’m one of the administrative officers
in this team.
RICK: I’m Rick, a year three Banking & Finance major. I’m marketing officer in Glo-co
Radio Team.
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2. Accommodation in Different Cultures
RYAN: So, welcome to the team Rick. How do you feel for the first time using this
recording studio?
RICK: Am I supposed to say “nervous”? HAHA… Well honestly, I feel excited to be in
here.
RYAN: Glad to hear that. Today, we also have Gordon here, our awesome postproduction officer.
GORDON: Hi guys!
RYAN: In our college life, accommodation or what we say in Hong Kong, ‘hall life’ is
really a big deal to us right? Gordon, do you stay in the student hostel in HSMC?
GORDON: No, but it sure takes me a long time to get home.
RYAN: Yes, I know how it feels. I’m sure that half of my life is spent on commuting.
Rick, I know you are staying in the student hostel this year. How does it feel?
RICK: I am living in a 3-person room in Mosaic college, which is themed to promote
cultural diversity that’s why lots of exchange students stay in my hall, but I’m not sharing
a room with any exchange students. Instead, I just stay with my friends. I would say I feel
worried sometimes, as living with people with different habits involve a lot of
communication, tolerance and compromises.
GORDON: Sounds like a different experience! So, is it costly to stay in the hostel?
RICK: From HKD1,050 to 1,650 a month depending on the size of the room, I think it is
a “market price” for staying in a university hostel in Hong Kong.
RYAN: Somehow I think it is always worthwhile to spend at least one year in the hostel
no matter how much it costs. As a year 4 student, I regret not having any experience of
hostel life.
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GORDON: I totally agree! I intended to apply for the hostel as well last year, but as I’m
going on an exchange very soon in January, I’m actually going to experience my hostel
life not at HSMC, but abroad!
RICK: You are going for an exchange? Where are you going to?
GORDON: Gordon College, located in North Boston.
RYAN: HA! Gordon’s going to Gordon College!
GORDON: It is really funny. This is also one of the reasons I chose it.
RICK: Do you know anything about the dorm life there?
GORDON: There are a total of 11 halls in Gordon College. Looking at the pictures
online I feel like it’s more like a house, just with more rooms. Most of them only have
three floors, and some don’t even have a second floor. The room there seems big enough
as well but a friend of mine told me some of the residence halls were located too far away
from the main campus, and it took him at least 20 minutes to reach the campus.
RYAN: 20 minutes? That sounds like a long way to go! But I’m sure that is also another
kind of experience right? So, back to Rick, how often you get home to spend time with
your family on average?
RICK: Once a week, and on the weekends. But during in midterm or the exam week, I
always stay in the hall.
RYAN: And Gordon? Do you think you’re going to stay in the hostel all the time?
GORDON: Definitely not! I spend so much effort to get to Boston, and now I am staying
only in the hostel? I’m not going to let this happen. I am going to visit the cities around,
or go to other states to meet some of my friends. What I mean is, time I spend time in
hostel will not be as much as Rick. I guess it is normal for exchange students right?
Because we are not going for the hostel, isn’t it?
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RYAN: True. As students, when you are given the chance to go to different places and
experience different cultures, make sure you jump on it.
RICK: Or if you don’t have time, you can always listen to our radio channel to learn
more about different cultures!
GORDON: Great promotion here, marketing officer. Then see you all next time!
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3. Food Experiences in Different Cultures
CARMEN: Kitty, have you tried the food at the student lounge in Block M? It changed
from Café De Coral to Gold Rice Bowl.
KITTY: Yes, I have tried 2 rice dishes. It was quite good and the price was reasonable.
There are around 10 types of choices with meat and vegetables. It is different from the
old canteen. Sometimes, I chose awful dishes.
CARMEN: What kind of awful dishes did you choose?
KITTY: Actually, I am not fond of eating spicy or oily food, but the menu didn’t indicate
whether the food was spicy or not. Also, the food never looked the same as the menu’s
description.
CARMEN: It’s definitely not a pleasant experience.
KITTY: I heard that other canteens in Hong Kong serve various kinds of cuisines from
different cultures. Apart from the typical choices of Chinese and Western food, they also
serve food that is halal.
CARMEN: Wait, what is halal? I've tried foods like kebabs and curry, is that considered
halal?
KITTY: Halal food is that which adheres to Islamic law so animals are killed in a
humane way. Japanese University Cafeterias are worth mentioning as well.
CARMEN: Japan? Why?
KITTY: It’s arguably one of the best kept secrets of the culinary world. Most schools
usually have a dedicated nutritionist who ensures that all their students stay healthy and
are able to focus on their studies.
CARMEN: How amazing is that! My friend who went on an exchange there also told
me this: there are Western and even South Asian options but the majority of the menu
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listings are Japanese. They all taste so good so if you’re unsure of what to order, the pros
suggest you go with the school’s signature dish, which usually has the school’s name in it.
KITTY: Haha, good to know. Speaking of which, I recently found several photos
showing school cafeteria lunches around the world. They sometimes reflect the country’s
specialty.
CARMEN: Let’s see…A French lunch with Cheese, an Italian one with pasta, Greek
lunch has yogurt, an American lunch with a bag of chips and/or a chocolate chip cookie,
a Korean lunch with kimchi … Surprise surprise…
KITTY: There’s some really interesting ones I'm telling you! See here: a Brazilian lunch
with fried banana or even rice with beans, a Finnish lunch with pea soup etc. People in
some parts of the world really enjoy having their meals in university canteens, even if
they aren’t students.
CARMEN: No doubt. Maybe next time I travel, I'll try and crash their uni canteen for
delicious food. All this talk made me hungry. Want to grab a bite with me Kitty?
KITTY: Sure! Let’s go to the Block A café.
CARMEN: Sounds good to me, let’s go!
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4. Sports Campaigns in Different Cultures
DAWN: Hey, Anna. Do you like playing sports?
ANNA: Yes. I keep going to the gym twice a week even during mid-terms.
DAWN: Wow, that’s dedication!! You are definitely a sports lover.
ANNA: Not exactly...but indeed I love that feeling after exercise.
DAWN: What kinds of sports do you usually do?
ANNA: I go swimming in summer. The indoor swimming pool in school is clean and not
crowded. It is one of the best swimming pools in my point of view. Apart from
swimming, I also go to the gym. You know? Our school’s sports facilities are fantastic.
There is a lot of different equipment you can find in the gym room. Have you ever been
there before?
DAWN: Em… not yet... Perhaps I will go there one day. I am not interested in sports. By
the way, you will love our next topic: Sports in different cultures.
ANNA: What a great topic! Many of my classmates obsess with games like basketball,
football, etc. They will join the school teams and attend different joint-universities
competitions. Wait! Dawn, I remember you went on exchange to Canada last year. You
should have some idea!
DAWN: Indeed, sports are an essential and important aspect of Canadian society.
However, rather than football or basketball, hockey, is the sports deeply rooted in
Canada’s culture. Whether one appreciates the game or not, hockey connects deeply with
Canada.
ANNA: Hockey?! What’s that?
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DAWN: Haha, it is not common in HK, but it is a totally different case in Canada.
Hockey consists of two teams playing against each other by hitting the “puck” with a
hockey stick in the opponent’s goal.
ANNA: Interesting! But how popular is it?
DAWN: At my host university, there was a hockey team and they practiced nearly every
day. Also, when I asked my friends about hockey in Canada, even if they didn't play
hockey, everyone was obsessed with watching the matches!!
ANNA: Wow, the sports culture in Canada is entirely different from Hong Kong. In fact,
my friends will never actively go and watch a sp orts competition.
DAWN: My friends do so. Hong Kong is much more concerned with academic
knowledge than sports trivia! On the contrary, in Canada, sport is as important as study. It
seems that they try to take a balance in between.
ANNA: In HK, study is usually the biggest obstacle to do sports. Take me as an example;
I have nearly spent all the time to do my assignments these days. How can I get spare
time to play sports unless a day has 48 hours? When you talk about sports, I want to rush
to the gym room now!!!
DAWN: Haha, I totally understand how you feel. A sports-lover cannot bare not do
sports for a week.
ANNA: Yes, sadly I will only available after exam. But what kind of sports should I
practice? Oh yes, Hockey, what we have just mentioned and I am very interested in it!!!
Do you know where I can try hockey in Hong Kong?
DAWN: Yes, I remember there is a Hong Kong Hockey Association. Grasp the
information if you would like.
ANNA: Thanks, Dawn. :)
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5. School Life in Different Cultures
MARK: Hello, Teresa. I know that you are a year one student this year. How do you feel
so far? Does it match your expectations? And, what department do you belong to?
TERESA: Hey Mark. I am majoring in English. So far, I think college life is pretty fun. I
believe I have adapted into the environment quite well and made some friends who
helped me integrate into the college community easier too.
MARK: It’s good to hear that. Are there any differences between studying in high school
and college?
TERESA: High school to me was more like “following the rules”. However, in college,
it’s more like “choosing responsibility and being independent”. Before, I was often told
what to do in most situations. But now, I believe it’s my responsibility to make important
decisions on my own. College students are on their own, you must have self-discipline,
organization and good time management, because no one else is going to follow up or
check on your work - so basically, you're on your own. Don’t you think so too?
MARK: Sure, I agree. I think having high flexibility in college is the biggest difference
compared to high school, for example, a longer time period is allowed for students to
finish their assignments, say 2 to 3 weeks. I will have sufficient time to have deeper
thoughts on my assignment topics and can do more research on it. Meanwhile, I am
allowed to share my opinions with classmates and discuss the issues with them.
TERESA: Yeah, exactly. Like you mentioned, I really like the high flexibility in college.
I love the idea that I am able to control my own schedule now. When I was in high school,
my schedule was arranged by others. The classes were pre-assigned. I proceeded from
one class to another directly, so it’s like 9 hours of school every single day of the week.
Now, I often have hours of break between classes, days-off and perhaps only about 20
hours of school each week. This allows me to spare a lot of free time on other tasks, and I
love it.
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MARK: This year, our college has more exchange students than the previous year. Have
you interacted with them?
TERESA: No, unfortunately, there aren’t any exchange students in my classes despite
the fact that I’d love to get to know them. Have you heard anything interesting about
them?
MARK: Well, I have heard there are a lot of Korean exchange students this year. Did
you know that Korean students commonly use the Internet Explorer as their only browser?
You know, students in our college would rather use Google Chrome to surf the Internet
instead of IE. Do you know why do so many Korean students use IE only?
TERESA: What? Everyone uses Google Chrome here in Hong Kong! Why is it
completely opposite in Korea?
MARK: I did some research after I heard about this interesting fact from a senior student
who went to South Korea for exchange. Simply speaking, it is because of an historical
reason. Ever since 1999, Korean citizens have been required by the government to use IE
exclusively for online shopping and banking. It is because IE has a unique plugin
function called ActiveX, which acts as a digital certificate when doing online transactions.
This is why the usage rate of IE in the South Korea is still very high nowadays in spite of
Chrome’s more advanced IT developments and higher average Internet connectivity
speed in the world.
TERESA: Oh, I’ve learnt something new then. This is really fascinating though.
Speaking of exchange students, have you ever been to any places for exchange
programme?
MARK: No, I wish I had gone on an exchange when I was still in my junior years. So, I
strongly encourage you to apply for that in the first two years. Did you go to any
countries for exchange when you were in high school?
TERESA: Actually I did! In my senior years in high school, I went to Australia and the
United States. It was an unforgettable and inspiring experience.
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MARK: It sounds fun and exciting. It will be great if you can tell me any interesting
things you met in your journey.
TERESA: Let me tell you something interesting, did you know that students in the States
do not need to purchase textbooks? The textbooks were bought by the school many years
ago and the books are passed on to each pupil from the previous years. When I was
studying there, I realised there are plenty of notes on the books made by the previous
students. It’s great! Because even if I missed anything the professors said, I could still
refer to the notes in my books.
MARK: Wow, what an environmentally-friendly way to pass knowledge from one
generation to the next.
TERESA: Yes! Students can save a lot of money from buying books too!
MARK: But sadly, as far as I know, it’s totally different between high school and college
in the United States. As I know, university textbooks in the US are very expensive. It is a
huge burden for the students. I think one of the reasons is that there are only 5 publishers
that make up 80% of the US textbook market. Therefore, they can sell their textbooks in
such a high price and students don’t even have a choice. On the other hand, some of my
classmates like to use e-books rather than printed books for lectures. Speaking of this,
which one do you prefer?
TERESA: You know, even though e-books are very common now, I always prefer
printed textbooks because the experience and feeling of reading a hardcopy is
irreplaceable. However, I agree with the idea of reusing the books as it is
environmentally-friendly. In fact, not all students can afford to own an electronic gadget
to read the e-books.
MARK: That’s a great point. I also prefer reading printed books because I love making
my own notes in the books. After finishing my courses, I can even sell them at a low
price to the junior students to prolong the life of the textbooks.
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TERESA: Yeah exactly. Aside from studying, let me tell you about some activities I did
during my exchange. When I was in Australia, the college I studied organised a “Slime
Game Day”. Basically, students could each buy a bucket of slime that cost about 2
Australian Dollars, and all the money went to a charity of the school’s choice. Students
could throw the slime at any teacher in school, without getting any consequences that day!
Isn’t that fun? Imagine doing that in Hong Kong!
MARK: That would be fun. But I wonder if this is really possible in Hong Kong.
By the way, would you mind showing me some interesting photos taken in your
exchange journey?
TERESA: Yeah, sure! After that, are you interested in meeting some exchange students
in our school and chatting with them?
MARK: Why not? I can’t wait to make friends with them.
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6. Teaching Styles in Different Cultures
GABRIELLA: Kira, what is the teaching style like in Hong Kong now?
KIRA: Hmm...I think it is really a combination of exam-oriented and spoon-feeding
education. We have exams every semester, many assignments and projects. “Spoonfeeding education” is when the teacher simply throws out facts and figures at passive
students. It only focuses on students’ academic performance. For example, a student may
get straight A’s on the HKDSE but not know how to use the washing machine.
GABRIELLA: Definitely, I dislike the teaching style in Hong Kong. Maybe we can
discuss the teaching style in Hong Kong first.
KIRA: During lessons, teachers will talk about the content of textbooks or notes and
students can feel free to raise their questions. However, there is not enough incentive for
students to raise their questions in class as teachers do not encourage them, if students
raise their questions in front of the class, will be regarded as a weirdo.
GABRIELLA: I absolutely agree! Also, our motherland, China, is famous for its
teaching style. Teachers there only need students to understand book content, but students
do not really understand what they are reciting.
KIRA: Yeah! A question popped up in my mind. Will Chinese students become
“examination machines”?
GABRIELLA: Yes, I think so. They are focused on getting good grades on exams,
memorizing book’s contents but don’t have a flexible use of knowledge.
KIRA: Therefore, in my opinion, if the teachers in Hong Kong and China can take the
initiative to raise questions and start discussions with student on the content of their
textbook, students will be able to get involved in the lesson.
GABRIELLA: Also, I know a teaching style in China is similar to Germany.
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KIRA: Students in Germany don’t have any exercises done either on handouts or in
exercise books.
GABRIELLA: Is because teachers encourage students to talk more rather than copying
the notes written on the whiteboard?
KIRA: Yes. They think “classroom discussion” is the best method to become a good
learner.
GABRIELLA: Yeah, Germany is also a great place for learning. I am thinking whether
to apply for an exchange program in a German school as I’m quite interested in new
cultures and environments.
KIRA: If you’re thinking about Germany, would you consider school in the UK as well?
I think it suits you as you like more interactive lessons.
GABRIELLA: Yeah maybe school would be nice as well. So, tell me more about the
learning culture in the UK.
KIRA: If you study in the U.K., you are likely to be given great freedom to explore your
own ideas and to be creative. You may be expected to do your own research or work in
groups with other students for some projects. Education is very interactive too! You
won’t just be listening to your tutor all the time, I promise. Your tutor will encourage you
to share your ideas and may organize activities, such as debates, discussions and quizzes.
The idea is that by having fun and getting involved, you will learn more successfully.
GABRIELLA: Oh, that’s great. I think the UK may be a good choice for me.
KIRA: Lastly, a country famous for its teaching style just popped in my mind. It is
Finland. Teachers there put great emphasis on interactive learning.
GABRIELLA: They think developing students' learning incentives and motivation are
the most important key to learning. They have fewer instruction hours, fewer teachers
and even less time in school. The teachers trust the students to do the work and learn for
the sake of learning.
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GABRIELLA: Also, the students trust the teachers to give them the tools they need to be
successful. That’s why Finland’s education is so renowned. Therefore, students can learn
actively and learn what they are interested in. This helps discover their true passion.
KIRA: Oh! That’s Great!
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