Beyond a discourse of deficit: The meaning of silence in the international classroom

Authors

  • Lynda Yates Macquarie University
  • Thi Quynh Trang Nguyen La Trobe University

Abstract

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.

Author Biographies

  • Lynda Yates, Macquarie University
    Lynda has taught adult learners in a wide variety of tertiary and professional settings in Australia, the U.K and overseas and is currently Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, Sydney. Her research interests include adult language learning and use in study and workplace settings, pragmatics in intercultural communication and the teaching and assessment of spoken English, particularly pronunciation. Her current research projects focus on the experiences of international students and immigrants as they live, study and work in new environments, and on the specific communication issues faced by internationally trained doctors practising in Australia.
  • Thi Quynh Trang Nguyen, La Trobe University

    Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang was a teacher of Literature in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Teacher Training College of Nha Trang, Vietnam, from 2003 to 2006. She obtained her Master of Applied Linguistics from the Faculty of Education, La Trobe University, Australia in 2009. She is currently a PhD student at La Trobe University. Her current research focuses on face, the relation between face and cultures, in particular Vietnamese face as thể diện

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Published

2012-12-07

Issue

Section

General Refereed Papers