Beyond a Discourse of Deficit: The Meaning of Silence in the International Classroom

English language proficiency and entry standards have dominated discussion of why many international students from Asia appear to be reluctant contributors in Australian university classrooms, a reticence that is usually understood to result from difficulty in forming and expressing their ideas in E...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 22 - 34
Main Authors Yates, Lynda, Nguyen, Thi Quynh Trang
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Australian and New Zealand Comparative and International Education Society 2012
Subjects
Classroom Communication
Classroom Techniques
Cultural Differences
Cultural Influences
Educational Philosophy
English (Second Language)
English Language Learners
Foreign Countries
Foreign Students
Language Proficiency
Language Role
Learner Engagement
Novices
Self Concept Measures
Student Attitudes
Australia
Asia
Vietnam
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Summary:English language proficiency and entry standards have dominated discussion of why many international students from Asia appear to be reluctant contributors in Australian university classrooms, a reticence that is usually understood to result from difficulty in forming and expressing their ideas in English. This paper draws on a qualitative investigation into the perspectives of ten Vietnamese postgraduate coursework students. The findings suggest that, while language factors are important, an orientation to Vietnamese communicative cultures favouring discretion over conjecture for novices plays a significant role. Differences between the cultures of learning in Vietnam and Australia and the philosophies that underpin them are also crucial. We argue that measures to counteract apparent passivity in class should therefore be tackled at the level of teaching philosophy and involve explicit discussion of the patterns of interaction that are valued in the classroom and why. The implications for both staff and student training are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)
ISSN:1443-1475