Which questions help improve my Chinese speaking confidence

Questions that help improve Chinese speaking confidence are those that encourage personal expression, real-life communication, and gradual complexity to build comfort and fluency. Effective questions often relate to everyday topics, personal interests, and cultural subjects that stimulate engagement and reduce anxiety.

Types of Questions to Boost Confidence in Chinese Speaking

• Simple personal questions such as “你叫什么名字？” (What is your name?), “你来自哪里？” (Where are you from?), and “你喜欢做什么？” (What do you like to do?) help learners practice basic conversation patterns and build confidence through familiar content.
• Questions inviting storytelling or description, for example, “你能讲一个有趣的故事吗？” (Can you tell an interesting story?) or “描述你的家乡” (Describe your hometown), promote more extended speaking practice and cultural connection.
• Role-playing and situational questions like “如果你去中国旅游，你会去哪里？” (If you travel to China, where will you go?) simulate real-life scenarios, boosting practical speaking skills and self-assurance.
• Icebreaker and course-related questions used in educational settings have been shown to effectively increase Chinese students’ engagement and willingness to speak, which in turn enhances confidence. ¹
• Using storytelling and digital tools to practice speaking on selected topics also significantly improves students’ speaking competence and confidence. ²

Additional Tips for Improving Speaking Confidence

• Regular practice with these types of questions in low-pressure settings, such as language exchanges or speaking clubs, can reduce anxiety.
• Structured intercultural interactions, such as role-playing or online communication with native speakers, can significantly lower speaking anxiety and enhance confidence in Chinese communication. ³

These question types and approaches help learners progressively build confidence by enabling them to communicate meaningfully and comfortably in Chinese.

If desired, a specific list of example questions tailored to various proficiency levels can be provided.

References

• Using icebreaker questions to improve Chinese students’ engagement in transnational education – An action research

• The impact of using Digital Storytelling on Chinese EFL learners’ speaking ability

• Intervention Strategies for Chinese College Students’ English-Speaking Anxiety from an Intercultural Perspective

• A Strategic Study on the Integration of Chinese Culture into the Course of “College English Audiovisual and Speaking” under the Background of Cultural Self-confidence

• Examining Factors of Speaking Anxiety among Chinese EFL Students in Higher Education

• Strategies for College Students to Tell Good Chinese Stories and Show Cultural Confidence through English Public Speaking Based on “Three-Wide Education” Philosophy

• STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF USING NUMBERED HEAD TOGETHER (NHT) LEARNING MODEL TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ACHIEVEMENTS

• Reforming College English Listening and Speaking Teaching: Telling Chinese Stories Well with Task-Based Approach and Cross-Cultural Method

• English listening and speaking test platform for Chinese high school students

• Teaching the Non-Chinese Speaking Students Origami to Improve Their Interest and Concentration in Learning Chinese Language

• LexCHI: A quick lexical test for estimating language proficiency in Chinese

• Dolphin: A Spoken Language Proficiency Assessment System for Elementary Education

• Effect of an extension speech training program based on Chinese idioms in patients with post-stroke non-fluent aphasia: A randomized controlled trial

• A Study of Chinese learners’ Beliefs, Strategy use and Proficiency in Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language

• Language Usage Difficulties for Native Chinese Speakers Acquisition of English

• Tests of Learning or Testing for Learning? An Exploratory Study of Motivation and Language Learning Strategies Among HSK Level 1-3 Test-takers in UK

• Application of mandarin language module for improving language speaking skills

• Anxiety and Self-efficacy in Foreign Language Learning Speaking among Chinese Students

• CONFIDENCE MASTERY AS THE FUNDAMENTAL TASK IN LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

• Assessing the speaking proficiency of L2 Chinese learners: Review of the Hanyu Shuiping Kouyu Kaoshi