The importance of reading literature often seems lost on many Chinese people. Even experts in education think that the first goal of education is to encourage a love of learning. There is therefore the possibility of something wrong with the way students are taught here.
Why should they read literature? Do stories have value compared with the reading and learning of facts? Studies show clearly that the most powerful ways of learning are by experience, action and doing experiments and taking risks. Yet there are so many important things to learn that cannot be learned in these ways: feelings, problem solving, danger and relationships, for example. Research into this has shown how deep reading is a valuable experience different to a learning of words or facts. Keen(热心的) readers of -literature show a better understanding of others. Their abilities to make good decisions are raised. Young children who enjoy a parent reading stories to them show greater awareness(意识) when they reach school age.
The best schools do seem to provide a limited (有限的) chance to enjoy literature, usually about the Chinese classic stories but there is not enough "free" time for students. There are enough reading materials (材料). Chinese book shops are full of story books, and most of them are of good quality (质量) in terms of content, plot (情节) and language. Was there not a Chinese author who received a Nobel Prize for literature recently? There are moves in Chinese education to promote (提升) decision making and shared values. The value of literature is helpful to these as well as to the future of China.
