Students and cell phones

I teach a summer school class in English and American culture.  Many of the students have plans for overseas study, and a few of those who attend aren’t even signed up.  But some students are taking the class because they are forced to, and while Chinese students are pretty industrious, they aren’t above fiddling around with their cell phones during class. Sometimes, of course, they are looking things up; more often, they’re shopping, texting, or playing games.

 Just about all the students have cell phones. Using them during class is forbidden of course, but the students are creative in subverting the rules.  They are stunned to learn their American counterparts do the same.