A BRIEF STUDY OF RETICENCE IN ESP CLASSES
A BRIEF STUDY OF RETICENCE IN ESP CLASSES

Summary/Abstract: As a complex phenomenon, reticence has been proved to exist in foreign language classroom, affecting the learning of the target language. Students’ low proficiency, their fear of being corrected by their teachers or laughed at by their peers are two of the factors that lead to their unwillingness to take part in classroom activities, especially in speaking activities. The compulsory nature of the second language course may exacerbate the problem by negatively influencing students’ motivation to participate in communication activities. Students rarely volunteer answers and even clear-cut answers may be followed by periods of silence. Given that language primarily exists to facilitate communication, interaction in English has an important role to play in developing learners’ ability to use English effectively and correctly. Since interaction will not happen spontaneously, it is teachers’ responsibility to find the right methods to encourage students to increase their involvement in classroom discussions.

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