Rethinking the Long Standing Phenomenon of Silent Chinese Students Supported by the Cultural Dimensions Theory of Hofstede

Abstract

This article examines this phenomenon after studying the previous literature on silent students. With the surge in the number of Chinese students, more and more foreign universities have their presence, so the characteristics of Chinese student groups have become a favorite research direction of many Western scholars. The main arguments of this paper are 1) The impression of Chinese students can be summarized by the following keywords: silent, passive, and inflexible; 2) Although the descriptions are close to reality, most of the current research is limited to criticizing and judging arbitrarily, which makes these studies inevitably one-sided, self-righteous, and therefore lacking a comprehensive attitude; 3) Different cultural heritage and historical backgrounds will cause significant differences in the characteristics of local people; 4) The characteristics of Chinese students must not necessarily be negative. Consequently, this article reconsiders this problem from another perspective of cultural dimension theory. In the analysis process, this paper shows the differences between Chinese and Western cultures with the help of Hofstedes cultural dimension theory. It makes a comprehensive analysis based on Chinas socioeconomic and political conditions. Therefore, this paper contributes to putting forward some suggestions to improve the current education situation, emphasizing the significance of family and social education for students growth and character development.