Understanding first year university students’ passivity via their attitudes and language behaviors towards answering questions in class

Learning styles and learning strategies play a key role in learners’ success and autonomy in language learning. However, the majority of research in this area is carried out in foreign context rather than locally. Thus, many false assumptions have been made about Asian learning styles in general and Vietnamese learners in particular, i.e. they are passive and group-oriented learners, and they tend to learn by rote and memorize knowledge. In an attempt to find out if Vietnamese first year university non-English majored learners are passive or active, the study investigates their attitudes and language behaviors towards answering questions in class. The major findings from valid questionnaires responded by 90 students from five different technology-grouped departments reveal that Vietnamese students are not passive at all and the reasons why they appear passive are related to their shyness and face-saving attitudes. No statistically significant association was found between students’ personality and their passivity in the classroom.