A study examined the influence of cultural values on classroom behaviors of adult Vietnamese refugees. More specifically, the study was designed to determine the effect of culturally acquired attitudes and personality traits on the refugees' classroom behaviors, the relationship between these behaviors and the cognitive learning styles favored by Vietnamese students, and the implications of these preferences for selecting materials and instructional approaches to facilitate second-language learning. To collect these data, the researcher observed the classroom behaviors of 18 Vietnamese students in an advanced-level course offered under the Refugee Services Program, English for Speakers of Other Languages, of Montgomery County, Maryland. These observations revealed that the students manifested little if any initiative or interaction with one another while in class. Options confused them, as did individual or small group activities. However, they did begin to show some competitive skills when broken into teams. Such behavior reflects the Oriental stress on passive humility as opposed to the American emphasis on socialization and independent action. To deal effectively with Indochinese students, teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) must understand these differences and not view reserved behavior as a manifestation of laziness or lack of intelligence. (MN)