Over many years of researching Chinese international students’ learning experiences, colleagues have frequently approached me with similar questions: How can I help my Chinese students participate more? Why are they so quiet? How do I support them better? These questions reflect genuine care, but they also reveal the cultural and communication barriers that can make cross-cultural teaching challenging for educators.
What I have learned, and what I consistently share with colleagues, is that effective support does not always require large interventions or major redesigns. More often, a small, intentional teaching move is all it takes to build trust and connection. A brief clarification of expectations, a moment of extra wait time, or a gentle invitation to contribute can shift the entire learning dynamic. When students feel understood, respected, and safe, many of the perceived “barriers” dissolve, and their engagement emerges naturally and confidently.
Understanding the learning experience
Studying in Australia is not simply a continuation of previous learning; it is a profound process of becoming. Students must navigate not just academic language in one that is not their first and their new discipline, but also unfamiliar participation expectations.
Participation as risky, participation as cultural
For Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) students, listening attentively, preparing carefully, and showing respect for authority are legitimate forms of participation. Western classrooms, by contrast, often equate participation with verbal contributions such as questioning or debating. This mismatch can lead teachers to misread silence as passivity rather than engagement. For many Chinese students, speaking spontaneously in class can feel risky, as mistakes may disrupt group harmony or threaten face..
Many Chinese students also avoid speaking spontaneously to prevent errors that could cause loss of face and reduce confidence. Participation is also shaped by the value placed on group harmony; silence may be chosen to avoid disrupting consensus or drawing attention away from others.
Silence, therefore, should not be misinterpreted as disengagement but recognised as a culturally informed strategy of careful observation and linguistic processing. Explicitly defining what participation looks like in your classroom reduces uncertainty and creates a safe entry point into discussion. Silence is also a student’s right and a conscious choice, and limited verbal participation should be understood as culturally and linguistically informed rather than apathetic. By reframing silence as a legitimate mode of learning, teachers create space for meaningful contributions that align with students’ cultural and linguistic strengths.
Reducing ambiguity and broadening participation
Defining just what participation looks like reduces uncertainty and creates safe entry points for all students, not just those of Chinese heritage. Participation should also be understood broadly, including verbal contributions, written reflections, collaborative tasks, and online forums. Offering and valuing diverse modes signals that thoughtfulness and preparation are as important as verbal fluency. When class discussions are used as a pedagogical tool, teachers must be aware of tacit ‘rules’ for participation and the impact of linguistic differences. Silence may reflect unfamiliarity with Western academic discourse rather than disengagement. Recognising this ensures fair and inclusive assessment.
Participation varies across educational traditions, and many CHC students feel vulnerable when speaking spontaneously. Teachers can support engagement by:
- Clarifying expectations: Define verbal, written, and collaborative contributions to reduce uncertainty. Many students are unsure what “participation” means in Western classrooms. By explicitly stating that contributions could be verbal (speaking in class), written (online posts, reflective notes), or collaborative (group roles, shared documents), teachers reduce ambiguity and make expectations transparent.
- Providing low-stakes practice: Use think–pair–share, brief prompts, or structured routines to build confidence. Low-pressure activities give students rehearsal space before speaking publicly. These routines scaffold participation, helping students practise expressing ideas safely and gradually build confidence in academic dialogue.
- Encouraging gradual risk-taking: Reinforce that all contributions are valued, helping students move from observer to active participant (Hodkinson & Poropat, 2014). Students often need reassurance that their ideas matter. By affirming every contribution and encouraging small steps forward, teachers help learners shift from silent observation to active engagement, supporting long-term confidence and participation.
Scaffolding academic practices
Participation is only part of the challenge. CHC and similar students also need support in critique, collaboration, and feedback; these are practices that are culturally situated. Disagreeing with peers or lecturers, for instance, may feel inappropriate in some cultural contexts.
- Model respectful disagreement: show how critique strengthens ideas. Demonstrate disagreement in ways that highlight evidence and idea development, so students see critique as constructive rather than personal.
- Give sentence starters for peer feedback: “I agree because…”, “Could you clarify…”. Provide simple linguistic scaffolds that help students practise feedback language, lowering barriers for multilingual learners.
- Clarify collaboration norms: roles, expectations, accountability. Outline clear responsibilities and expectations in group work to prevent misunderstandings and ensure equitable participation.
Building confidence and belonging in small moments
Confidence grows when students feel psychologically safe. Teachers can foster this by:
- Using micro-affirmations: acknowledge contributions, validate effort, celebrate small achievements. Small, consistent signals of recognition show students that their efforts are noticed and valued, building trust and motivation
- Drawing on diverse examples and normalising mistakes. Highlighting varied perspectives and treating errors as part of learning helps students see that imperfection is expected and growth-oriented.
- Inviting students to share one small win per session. Encouraging reflection on small successes reinforces progress and helps students recognise their own development.
- Creating opportunities for peer recognition: pairing students to give brief affirming feedback fosters belonging. Structured peer-to-peer affirmation builds community and ensures students feel supported not only by teachers but also by classmates.
Technology as a scaffold
Digital tools can democratise participation and strengthen belonging:
- Collaborative glossaries on Canvas or Padlet. Shared glossaries allow students to co-construct disciplinary vocabulary, supporting language development and giving multilingual learners an active role in knowledge-building.
- Screencast or audio feedback to support diverse learning preferences. Providing feedback in multiple formats helps students who process information better through listening, and makes teacher guidance more personal and accessible.
- Online forums and shared documents: allow asynchronous engagement, reducing pressure for immediate verbal responses. These platforms give students time to reflect before contributing, which is especially valuable for those less confident in spontaneous speech.
- Visual and interactive platforms can signal that all contributions are valued, increasing inclusion. Tools like Padlet walls or interactive whiteboards make participation visible and collective, reinforcing that every input matters.
Small moves for teachers
Supporting international students does not require a full curriculum overhaul, and the changes you make will benefit all students. Many of these principles echo those of Universal Design for Learning. Small, intentional moves – clarifying participation, embedding language support, modelling reasoning, scaffolding practices, and affirming contributions – can transform engagement, confidence, and learning outcomes.
Further reading
In my book, Becoming an International Student, I explore these dynamics in depth, drawing on students’ lived experiences to highlight how small, thoughtful teaching strategies can make a meaningful difference.
You might also find helpful tips in Practical approaches for creating inclusive learning environments for Chinese students.
