The Troubling Case of the Noisy Chinese Students

Mystery: Why are my students very noisy when I teach them but when the Chinese teachers teach them, they are so quiet you could hear a pin drop? Why can the Chinese teachers speak in a whisper with the students when I have to yell over them?

Investigation: I have been teaching my Chinese students, who are between two and six years old, for about two months now. Whenever I teach, the Chinese teachers get the children to be quiet at the beginning of the class and then it is my turn: I have the floor to teach the children English. We use flashcards to review vocabulary, we play games to review the vocabulary and the grammar, and we sing songs. I have found that whenever I hold up a card with a picture for the children to say the English word, they yell the word as loud as they can, without stopping. In order for me to get a word in edgewise, either to correct the word or the pronunciation, I have to yell over them. When I switch to the next card, the same thing happens.

Many times during class, if I want them to really listen to me without talking, I have to sing a song. Then they will all start singing nicely and I do not have to yell. If I can get them to sing SOFTLY, then the classroom is really quiet.

However, when there is a Chinese teacher accompanying me in the classroom to keep the children quiet, they are very good. The Chinese teacher can get the children to listen to me without talking all at once, so that I do not have to yell over all of them. When the Chinese teachers teach, the children are always quiet and they do as they are told without question. Why is this? Why will they do this for the Chinese teachers and not for me?

Solution: After careful watch of the Chinese teachers' classes and the way in which the Chinese teachers get the students to be quiet, I have concluded that there are many reasons the students will be quiet for them and very noisy for me. First of all, the Chinese teachers speak their language, so they can tell the children to be quiet and they can threaten the children if they are not quiet. Therefore, there is more incentive for the children to listen to them. Also, many times the children here believe that since we (foreign teachers) cannot speak their language, then we are different and perhaps do not need as much respect as the "real" teachers who do speak their language.

The Chinese teachers also spend more time with the children and know the rhymes, chants, etc., they say that the children have learned to make them quiet. For example, there is one chant (all in Chinese) about opening your eyes and looking at the teacher. When the teacher says it, the students repeat it and become quiet. However, as it is in Chinese, it would be difficult for me to learn it and say it with the children to make them quiet.

Last, and possibly most important, is the fact that the Chinese teachers can punish the children as they want to and need to and I cannot (not that I really want to). The Chinese teachers can take away the childrens' food if they are very bad, they can put them outside the classroom, and they can even physically punish them. I however, cannot. Therefore, the children are more inclined to listen to the Chinese teachers because they know there may be punishment with them, but not with me.

In Conclusion: There are many reasons that the Chinese students are very noisy for me and very good for the Chinese teachers. I would like you to understand, though, that I am not trying to make you think that they are very bad. Usually the children are good. They are loud, they are noisy, and it can be difficult to make them listen, but in general they are lovely children. Just like in any classroom anywhere, some of the children want to learn more and these children listen and some of the children fidget, talk, and are loud. So please don't let this blog make you think negatively towards my students. They are wonderful!