In seeking to enact the optimal instructional factors in the classroom, teachers must not overlook one pervasive condition, namely, culture. The relationship between culture and learning is investigated with a particular reference to "the paradox of the Chinese learner". In doing so, this exploratory paper examines the nature of Confucian-heritage culture (CHC) using the theoretical framework of Cultural dimensions theory by Hofstede (2010). This theory provides a comprehensive model for intercultural encounters and cross-cultural communication, although the present research takes only one of the theory's six dimensions, power distance, to explore how CHC learners' expectations of an authority figure within their cultural milieu, such as a teacher, impacts teaching and learning in the classroom. The implications of this investigation provides insight into how CHC students' expectations can be leveraged to the advantage of non-CHC teachers' instructional methodology in the teaching of EFL.

Author Profile(s)
Adrian Davis (EdD) is an English-language lecturer teaching Social Work undergraduates in the School of Public Administration at Macau Polytechnic Institute.

He has a Master’s Degree in Psychotherapy and is also a certified Play therapist (APTA). He is currently a student of art therapy with CiiAT.

His publications include An Exploration of the Conditions, Mechanisms and Teaching Methods in the Far Transfer of Undergraduate Learning to the Real World, Social Work Undergraduates' Impressions of Content-based Language Teaching, The Role of Poetry in the Teaching of English to Social Work Undergraduates, the Leadership Wisdom of the I Ching, and Teachers’ and Students’ Beliefs Regarding Aspects of Language Learning.