The language deficit: a comparison of the critical thinking skills of Asian students in first and second language contexts

Table 4 Mean ratings for cross-examination speeches of Japanese and English debates

Question	Japanese	English	Diff.	P value
Did the speakers show understanding of their opponents’ arguments?	3.96	1.80	+ 2.16
Did they find flaws or inconsistencies in their opponents’ arguments?	3.62	1.92	+ 1.70
Did they explain their cross-examination clearly?	4.12	2.30	+ 1.82
TOTAL MEAN SCORE	3.90	2.01	+ 1.89	0.0001