Namaste! to all Sajhaties.I'm doing a survey on "Why do most of the International Students hesitate to communicate in the class or participate less in class activities??? Is it because of a communication barrier??? And what are the other factors you people think that may force students to remain wordless in the class??

Please...Give your opinion...Its just a survey..

I disagree with lato. Yes, lato is right for those who come from government school whose english is generally weak, especially spoken. But most of th4 students in USA or Britain, or whereever, for that matter, come from "Private English Boarding School". They have a good command of English and they do not have to translate a question, especially a one or two sentence long question from Nepali to English. Even a Hawker in Basantapur can speak english fluently...

I think shree5 is right. I once questioned the authority on a topic of my high school english teacher, well i got a good reprimand for my troubles. the teacher took such an offence that she wan not satisfied by outting me down, she had to go ahead and make an example of me on other classes too..... i stopped asking questions after that.

Another factor that stops me asking question is the fear of appearing stupid in front of the class.... hehe i guess that happens to a lot of other people too......

eso bhanda mailey ewuta kuro samjhi.............

tyo nilo aankha bhako manchhey haru lay haamlai yaso kaam saam garda .." timaru nepaliharu kina kum bolchawu yasrai ?" bhanera soddhthey......

musukka hansyo...arulay gilaas phodey ni " I am sorry " bhanyo....

bhitra ta laagthyo..tailey jasto pharara bolna awuni bha bhey dekhai dinthey bhanya jasto.....jamana ma tirtha sir lay halla garyo bhanera nikaalya malai nai ho......

bhanna bhayena kyara

Personally, my main problem is accent. I have gotton used to speaking American english quite a bit. Still, sometimes I feel like perfection can never be reached when it comes to damn accent and second language. At my school, international students DO participate in class activities all the time but it definitely can not be compared to the whites.

Thanks for sharing ideas and experiences.I'll try to summarize your views and thoughts...Still...Looking for more comments, ideas and experiences.

communication and interacting with people does not come naturally. it all depends whether you are an introvert or an extrovert person. especially when english is becomes our second language. well, i suppose even if we have been speaking enlish all our lives when it comes time to participate in speaking it does freeze us up. so, please don't blame the society.

I know..being introvert or an extrovert affects communication.But thats no the only thing...there are many more other factors that forces students to remain speechless in the class...so what do you think is the reason for that?? Is it just because English is their second language???

It called a god damn confidence...

intls' think the info they got is POOR, when -- in reality -- the truth is stubbornly the opposite !!

The one class I dont really talk in is my government class because I dont like anything related to government and politics and I have no interest in talking about the Texas and US government. Plus I hardly know how the system works. I think one other class that makes me awkward is a media commentary class where they go on and on talking about the different TV shows (a lot which I am not aware of) and they also talk about the American people and their views (being a non American I am at lack of words when I am faced with this topic). so I guess we could say interest and knowledge of the topic are 2 important factors that might make an international student speechless in class.

Good dammn... govt and politics were always one of my fav. topics..Few years later when I came to Canada, a high school teacher at a Toronto suburb highschool told me, "People on the streets of Toronto dont know who Brian Mulroney is yet you seem to know which Canadian PM signed NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)".

He immediately became my friend when I told him it was Brian Mulroney. The funny thing is he is at least 30 years older than me.

.
I was just tired from working in the night.
What to do?
Without the money in your pocket school bell does not ring.
This was my situation.
I did all my homework or reading while at work in a Texaco Gas Station on Las Vegas Trail in Fort Worth. I slept from 7PM to 11PM.
I wanted to communicate or take part in extra activities:
bUT i wAS jUST tIRED tO aNYTHING eLSE tHAN wHAT i rEALLY nEEDED tO dO:
I am happy that It is all over now. My life is pretty comfortable now and
have time for all those international things.
.
.

Thanks people.....Still looking for more...

I was like that, initially. My biggest fear was that my questions or queries might be considered substandard or I might ask something that everyone already knows. I came from public schools in Nepal. I was under impression that my education was not up to par. It took me a semester to realize that my questions are just as good or even better. I used to save my questions and ask professors later after class. After constant encouragement from my professors to ask questions during class, I started it with hesitation but it is different now, I speak up when I have to.
Hope this helps.
-Shiv

I do not speak much even with my close friends because I feel that I dont know how to talk to people(i'm honest here), let alone in the classes.

The subject I am taking doesnt require discussions in the class. So, its a easy way out for '^'

Even if I have questions, we have a separate forum, something like 'sajha', for almost every subject I am taking. So, no need for direct contact.

If its personal matter, I email.

I want to change, but how?

And also,
I do not feel comfortable with my knowledge of spoken english.

Criminal JI !! mero namaste suikar gari baksoyes" JA DHOUE GARAY"...........

u know,,,,,,,, being seriously ,,,,,,,let me wrt down the points .....
1. the very big first reason is certainley a communication problem. i have seen many times and experience myself., that when you try to involve in a conversation in calss , there is alwys a gap inbetween you n ur partner, can be teacher or any other calss mates.... either they mislead the informations or they mislead the word,.

2. discriminating nature of few white people in calss plus the teacher himself , might be the second one.

3. Psycho....we all grew in a school where conversation or arguments hardly take place in classes.if u speak or argue , there is all chances that u will be asked to leave class or forced to keep the mouth shut..so , never used to this kind of teaching enviroments.

4. Another one may be the way nepalis work here. they work almost 60 hours, n among them many in the nts and classes in the moring. in fact talking about this , i had many frds who used to sleep or atleast called a very short nap.

5. as someone said above i think, not sure...the class , not of ur type .. the department u not interseted ,, u r taking becoz u have to.

6. another we most of have a habit of taking the calss with frds. so whenever ur alone in any of the calss, it is more likely that u r quite, sitting at the corner


sorry !!! got to g more on next one

Criminal JI !! mero namaste suikar gari baksoyes" JA DHOUE GARAY"...........

u know,,,,,,,, being seriously ,,,,,,,let me wrt down the points .....
1. the very big first reason is certainley a communication problem. i have seen many times and experience myself., that when you try to involve in a conversation in calss , there is alwys a gap inbetween you n ur partner, can be teacher or any other calss mates.... either they mislead the informations or they mislead the word,.

2. discriminating nature of few white people in calss plus the teacher himself , might be the second one.

3. Psycho....we all grew in a school where conversation or arguments hardly take place in classes.if u speak or argue , there is all chances that u will be asked to leave class or forced to keep the mouth shut..so , never used to this kind of teaching enviroments.

4. Another one may be the way nepalis work here. they work almost 60 hours, n among them many in the nts and classes in the moring. in fact talking about this , i had many frds who used to sleep or atleast called a very short nap.

5. as someone said above i think, not sure...the class , not of ur type .. the department u not interseted ,, u r taking becoz u have to.

6. another we most of have a habit of taking the calss with frds. so whenever ur alone in any of the calss, it is more likely that u r quite, sitting at the corner


sorry !!! got to g more on next one

Thanks Guys...thanks for sharing....anyone with different experience>>

अपराधीजी,
Why do most of the International Students hesitate to communicate in the class or participate less in class activities?
यसको उत्तर त धेरै छन्। त्यस्तो किसिमको सँस्कारको कमि, डर, inferiority complex, तरिका नमिल्ने, छिटो अंग्रेजी बोल्न नसकेर आदि आदि। श्री ३ ले भनेको जस्तै अरु कुराहरु पनि।
मेरो अनुभवको आधारमा भन्नु हुन्छ भने, तिनीहरुले क्लासमा राम्रो सँग कुरा गरेको देखेर डाह अवश्य लाग्छ सबभन्दा पहिलो कुरा यी खैरेहरुको धेरैवास्ता गर्न छाड्नुहोस। तर यसबाट आफसे आफ यिनीहरु तपाइँप्रति आकर्षित हुन्छन् र कुरा गर्न आउँछन्। र त्यसबेला नम्र भएर, हावा गफ दिएर आदि जे गरेर भएपनि तिनीहरुलाई प्रभाव पार्नुहोस्, धेरै नबोल्नोस् गल्ती हुन सक्छ। तर मेरो बिचारमा accent चाहिं नेपालीनै राख्नुस् त्यसले तपाइलाई first generation wanna-be americans हुनको खराब impression बाट जोगाउँछ, र एउटा फरक ब्यक्तित्वको छवि पार्न सकिन्छ। तर यिनीहरुको अगाडि सबभन्दा ठुलो कुरा, attitude चाहिं नभै हुँदैन।
communication राख्नुस तर बिध्यार्थी भन्दा प्रोफेसरसँग बढि राख्नुस।

But remember one thing; they want to keep you mum as much as they can. So take it as you must have something challenging to say and that’s why they want you to shut up. It will make you competitive and arouse you from inside to speak up.