Taiwanese classrooms are famous for students’ silence. Compared to students from other countries like the U.S., Taiwanese students rarely ask questions and express their opinions during class. Even though teachers ask their students if they have questions or if they would like to speak, most students are reluctant to respond. This has long been a problem in Taiwan’s education system, and it should be solved as soon as possible.

Why Taiwanese students are unwilling to speak

First, Taiwanese students lack critical thinking skills. Teachers often talk straight from the beginning of the class until class is dismissed, without providing opportunities for students to speak and participate in class discussions. In other words, teachers are usually cramming knowledge to students’ brains. Therefore, many students believe that every question has a “correct” answer and therefore start thinking one-dimensionally. They often don’t speak unless they know the accurate answers rather than logical answers.

Second, lacking confidence, many Taiwanese students are afraid of being laughed at when they answer incorrectly or when they ask stupid questions. In addition, students are unwilling to express their thoughts. Since many students take their teachers’ explanations for granted, students think all of them are correct. However, there are many questions that require “reasonable” answers instead of “accurate” answers, especially questions about controversial issues. As a result, many Taiwanese students are unwilling to ask questions and speak.

How to encourage Taiwanese students to be more active in class

To start, teachers need to provide more opportunities for students to speak rather than feeding information to students in every class. For example, teachers can teach public speaking skills and methods of persuasion to students, and teachers can also include debates in their syllabus. Encouraging class discussion is necessary too. Therefore, students can gain confidence by talking about their opinions.

Additionally, teachers should promote advanced critical thinking skills in Taiwanese classrooms. Teachers can help students think more deeply by assigning tasks such as persuasive essays and open questions. As mentioned before, making students plan debates and speeches can also enhance student’s thinking abilities. As a result, students will be less likely to rely on their teachers’ explanations, and they can come up with answers with their own.

Most fundamentally, teachers should find better means to motivate students to be curious and have the willingness to gain new knowledge. Take my math teacher as an example; he encourages students to clarify difficult concepts by asking questions. He is patient and enthusiastic in advising students who are attentive to improve their math grades. Also, he is approachable and humorous, so most students get along with him, and they are motivated to learn math. Thus, finding better ways to motivate students to learn is critical for teachers.

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It is important for Taiwanese students to ask questions and speak more because this helps them to build up their confidence, enhance critical thinking skills, and motivate them to be curious. Teachers and students can have active interactions if both of them love having Q&A sessions and discussing their thoughts. Indeed, having the skill to ask questions and express opinions can be valuable, and this leads students to be active, thoughtful, and competitive. In a nutshell, Taiwanese students should ask more questions and be willing to express their opinions.