I think you don't see my point. The Chinese canon is not at all broad; it is extremely narrow. (This is also true for Korea.) What students are required to know, they know extremely well. Few of them know anything else. For example, students who want to go to college all learn the symbols for the chemical elements. I don't know the Chinese names for many elements, so if I don't understand, I ask what the symbol is. I am confident an educated person will know. On the other hand, very few Chinese learn to speak English, but lots learn to read. That is because only written English is tested. For a Chinese student to study something that isn't on a test is quite risky. He is risking his whole future because everyone is tested on the same things, with those who learn them best going on to a higher level of education. I don't think this is bad, but I do think it would make for some boring quiz bowl. Questions outside the educational canon wouldn't get answered and questions from exams would all result in buzzer races. Expanding the canon isn't a possibility for Asians. I have to say that Chinese students have had lots of practice memorizing things. They could put that to work for quiz bowl if they were so inclined. I doubt too many would because it doesn't have much use in earning money and getting a place in the world, which is what interests the vast majority.
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