<p>No, I don't think CB is really racist, but I was wondering why they seem to like making tests for Chinese and Japanese (and to a lesser extent, Korean). It's funny too how those tests are ALL with Listening -- unlike German, French, and Spanish -- which would make it exponentially harder for a non-native speaker to get an 800 (SAT II).</p>
<p>Is it because the U.S. trades so much with China and Japan? Do they use the same reasoning they put certain countries in the Comparative Government exam, reasoning based upon international relations and current events? Or is it just because they know that the race with the greatest percentage of AP students is East Asian?</p>
<p>Why not SAT II Tagalog (Filipino)? Filipinos are, after all, the second largest Asian population in the United States. Why no Middle Eastern Studies when clearly the Middle East has always been an important area of the world in many senses of the word "important"? I'm not trying to be facetious or racist toward East Asians (I myself am part Chinese). I'm just curious.</p>
<p>Well....
Most people in the business world who speak Tagalong also speak another language. In the Phillipines, Chinese is the language of educated people.</p>
<p>The Middle East has more than one language. An AP Arabic would probably make sense though.</p>
<p>Or maybe the college board is just following the lead of colleges and offering exams in the languages most frequently taught at colleges?</p>
<p>Either that or... chinese and japanese languages are becoming more and more common.. i remember reading somewhere that in illinois they are requiring in one school to take chinese because of the influx of the chinese.. thats my guess at least. the reason not for filipino is... i just don't see that many people near me even that are. I see a lot more chinese. And few japanese.</p>
<p>To insinuate that the college board is racist because it doesn't cater to Filipinos would be ridiculous. Maybe they offer AP Chinese and AP Japanese because those countries actually have prosperous economies? Maybe they include China in AP Comparative Government because China has a unique system of government? Maybe they don't have AP Filipino because that language would be useless since the Philippines has a lagging economy in comparison to China and Japan? Maybe the offer AP Chinese and Japanese because China and Japan both have roels in setting the stage for the world's economy and politics where as the Philippines is relatively insignifcant and has almost no power in world affairs?</p>
<p>Also, one of the clear reasons why they don't offer "AP Middle Eastern Studies" is because it's a political hotspot at the moment and a teacher's opinion on its politics would totally influence the course and would probably skew the facts. If they aoffered it, there would also be controversy no matter what because there would always be some person who would find something to complain about in terms of the course and its exam (it being racist, etc)</p>
<p>It might be the way it is just because people less commonly study Middle Eastern/Filipino languages in college(?). But it may also very well be what you said.</p>
<p>Yea i know. They should have Middle Eastern languages and other languages. But also maybe there's not enough language teachers to have that certain class.</p>
<p>Re: the listening test thing
My theory is that with Asian language, you can learn how to read the characters, and the meanings, but speaking and understanding the spoken language is often times a whole different ball park.
With the other languages you mentioned like French, German, and Spanish use the alphabet system that we are used to with English, but are pronounced differently with some exceptions of course. </p>
<p>I don't think CB is racist, they are just a company delivering what they believe people want (most profitable for them too), and right now Chinese and Japanese are becoming very popular foreign language choices.</p>
<p>All just my opinions, so no flaming or anything like that.</p>
<p>search the local newspapers and you'll see the recent language additions were sponsored by the host country, i.e., they paid CB for the research to make up a test.</p>
<p>Stand and Deliver is a Huge dramatization; A school failing in math did move on to send many students to take AP Calc exams, but this occured over 6 years, not with the teacher's one class.</p>
<p>Yeah, Stand and Deliver is great. But it's also grossly exaggerated. We just finished watching it today...why is every teacher showing this movie now?</p>
<p>My favorite line is when Angel walks in and says, "What's CALCOOLUS?" Kills me every time.</p>