FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENTS‟ SILENCE 1
Factors Contributing to Students‟ Silence in Transactional Speaking Classes
Maurin Sanju
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENTS‟ SILENCE 2
Abstract
This study is carried out to figure out why students become reticent to participate in classroom activities. This study aims to discover what factors contributing to students‟ reticence. This paper reports the findings of a study of students‟ silence factors in Transactional Speaking classes at the Faculty of Language and Literature in Satya Wacana Christian University. The participants were 15 students of the first academic year enrolled in Transactional Speaking classes. Using open-ended questionnaires to select the participants and interviews as the techniques of collecting data, the study revealed four major factors, those are low English competence, class size, peers, and teachers. The results indicate that more research needs to be done to help students become more active and proficient in English. Implications are discussed and some possible changes to teaching practices proposed, which are hopefully applicable for the teachers and the students. The study of students‟ silence factors can also be a learning for the teachers to decreasestudents‟ unwillingness to participate.
