Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/45631

This paper explores the factors affecting the active exchange of opinions among students from different cultural background within a classroom setting. When Asian and Western students gather in one classroom, utterance tends to be dominated by the Western students. As interaction through utterance has great importance to the learning outcome of the whole class, every student should be encouraged to participate actively in a classroom discussion. A case study was conducted to investigate the factors that influence the students' behavior when communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds. By asking the respondents how they would react in certain situations, the intercultural communication tendencies of each cultural group are revealed. Factors inhibiting Asian students from participating in class discussion are discussed and some suggestions concerning the role of teachers to achieve active interaction among students are presented.