Abstract
This study explores Thai university students’ perceptions of their reluctance in verbal classroom participation especially in situations where English is used as the medium for instruction. It is generally perceived that non-native learners particularly from high context cultures such as Thailand have the tendency to remain silent during discussion sessions or when they are asked to participate in activities related to expressing their opinions. By investigating this phenomenon through focus group meetings with Thai university students, this study reveals reasons that cause students to be hesitant speakers in class through the eyes of students themselves. The results confirm that though students agree to the common perception of Asian students being quiet learners, they did not agree that they were passive learners; they emphasized the fact that they used ‘silence’ as a tool to quietly yet attentively participate. The study also highlights that students’ silence can be seen as a way to harmonize with the environment and situation which is the cultural norm in the Thai context.
Highlights
This study explores Thai university students’ perceptions of their reluctance in verbal classroom participation especially in situations where English is used as the medium for instruction
Collective Thai culture focuses on social harmony and keeping agreeable relationships with others (Knutson, Komolsevin, Chatiketu, & Smith, 2003) which causes people to be sensitive and reluctant in critically assessing the opinions of others and sharing their honest viewpoints. For these particular Thai university students, it was not the anxiety brought by their English language skills but was the fear of their thoughts and opinion being judged and assessed by others— teachers and peers—that affected their passive participation
This study investigated the perceptions of Thai university students on their reticence in classroom participation to gain insights into this behavior
Summary
This study explores Thai university students’ perceptions of their reluctance in verbal classroom participation especially in situations where English is used as the medium for instruction. It is generally perceived that non-native learners from high context cultures such as Thailand have the tendency to remain silent during discussion sessions or when they are asked to participate in activities related to expressing their opinions By investigating this phenomenon through focus group meetings with Thai university students, this study reveals reasons that cause students to be hesitant speakers in class through the eyes of students themselves. At a time like this, Asian students are still widely perceived as being passive communicators especially in classroom contexts (Loh & Teo, 2017; Kember, 2009; Exley, 2005; Cheng, 2000) These groups of students are deemed largely as shy people who are unwilling to participate in class discussion or share their opinions and ask questions (Loh & Teo, 2017; Tran, 2013). By examining Thai students’ perceptions towards their reluctance in speaking up in their classes, the study intends to elucidate differences in learning styles of Thai culture and shed light on these differences to call for more discussion in facilitating effective classroom participation
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