Reticence in second language case discussions: anxiety and aspirations

Abstract

In business education, case methods of teaching are widely used to help students develop their interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. At the heart of this methodology is the full-class case discussion in which the lecturer strives to draw students into the analysis of a case (a narrative describing a dilemma in an organization). Case leaders in Asia, however, often face a very challenging and frustrating situation. Why do their students hold back from participating in discussions and what can be done to increase their involvement? In Hong Kong, an ethnographic study investigated the reticence of Chinese students in four sections of an English-medium undergraduate business course. By way of surveys and interviews with the lecturers and their students as well as the observation and analysis of videotapes of their case discussions, the researcher sought to better understand the reasons for the students' reticence in these events. A complex mix of affective, sociocultural, and educational factors were found to play a significant role in determining the level of interaction. The findings suggested specific strategies that case leaders and business communications teachers might adopt to increase the participation of reticent students.