In Second Language Acquisition (SLA) classrooms, teachers often face the challenge of dealing with students who are reticent and hesitant to actively participate during the learning process. These reticent students tend to respond with silence, single-word answers, or whispered replies to teacher cues, leading to teacher-dominated discourse that can account for up to 80% of verbal interaction (Walsh, 2011; Tsui, 1998 as cited in Walsh, 2011). This lack of participation not only limits students' opportunities to practice language skills but also forces teachers to fill conversational gaps or even leads to classroom discussion ending without meaningful outcomes. Factors such as fear of making mistakes, lack of confidence, cultural influences, or limited understanding of the material are often the root causes of this reticence (Salija, 2020). For teachers, this issue poses a significant challenge, as it hinders the creation of an interactive and supportive learning environment necessary for students' language development. Therefore, this essay will explore strategies that teacher can employ to address reticent students, drawing from Amy Tsui's (1998 as cited in Walsh, 2011) study. These strategies include lengthening wait-time, improving questioning techniques, accepting various types of responses, utilizing group work and peer support, and providing constructive feedback to foster participation and enhance the effectiveness of language learning.
One of the strategies to deal with reticent students is lengthening wait-time. When students experience fear of making mistakes or lack of confidence, extending wait-time provides them with more time to process questions and formulate logical responses (Ingram & Elliott, 2014). And in terms of teacher behavior, lengthening wait-time makes teachers ask fewer questions (Tobin, 1986, as cited in Ingram & Elliott 2014). However, adding more seconds sometimes gives the opposite results. Students may feel bored because they have waited too long. Tsui also reports that longer wait times will cause student's anxiety ( Tsui, 1996, as cited in Walsh, 2011). Therefore, it is very important for teachers to select and identify appropriate questions that require time to think.
Next strategy is that teachers should focus on improving their questioning techniques. Teacher questions are one of crucial aspects to lead the class interaction (Godfrey, 2001). It can determine whether the class interaction will run actively or otherwise. One of questioning techniques that teachers can apply is to improve their questioning strategies by asking more referential questions and fewer display questions. According to Ozcan (2010, as cited in Zohrabi, et.al, 2014) , referential questions increase student's participation and lead to more interaction. Even though the answer didn't contain a longer or better explanation because some students struggle with language barriers, teachers could give a certain amount of time for students to write down their answer before they participate orally.
Accepting a variety of answers is another strategy that addresses the anxiety of giving incorrect responses. Sometimes in some classroom discourses, students may be required to give the same answers as those in the textbook or give answers that are similar with what their teacher thinks. This limits students and gives students anxiety about answering the questions because they are afraid that their answer will be wrong. To avoid this problem, teachers must allow students to give freedom to make the variation responses as long as it still related to the issue being questioned. So that the students are more free to actively participate in the interaction. Students are also allowed to ask for help or ask for more time to teacher if it is deemed necessary.
Next is making use of group work and peer support. One of the factors that make the student reluctant to actively participate in the class is they find that their friend or class environment doesn't support them to be active in the class and make them lose confidence. Or they think that speaking in front of the class is too intimidating. To anticipate this factor, teacher can arrange the student to work in a group or pair. According to Tsui (1996, as cited in Walsh, 2011), interaction in groups was found effective in encouraging students to speak out and reduce pressure associated with speaking in front of the entire class. This is because the discussions in groups, especially in small groups, have less risk of pressure but still maintain the quality of the content being discussed. Also, having support from their peer can that Through their conversations and interactions with one another, students can build new information, correct their errors, and then evaluate and modify what they already know and don't know.
The last is providing content feedback. Providing content feedback emphasizes the ideas conveyed by students rather than focusing solely on correcting their grammatical error. This strategy helps students prioritize clear communication and feel that their opinions are valued, fostering a sense of accomplishment and boosting confidence. By reducing the anxiety associated with constant error correction, students are more likely to participate and take risks in their language use. This not only enhances their ability to express themselves effectively but also creates a more engaging and supportive classroom environment, promoting meaningful interactions and better language development.
In conclusion, addressing the underlying factors of reticence- such as fear of making mistakes, lack of confidence, cultural influences, or limited understanding of the material- is essential for promoting active participation in SLA classrooms. Strategies such as lengthening wait-time, improving questioning techniques by focusing on referential questions, accepting a variety of answers, utilizing group work and peer support, and providing content feedback can help create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment. By implementing these approaches, teachers can reduce student anxiety, encourage more meaningful participation, and foster better communication skills. These strategies ultimately lead to more effective classroom discourse and greater opportunities for students to develop their language proficiency.
REFERENCES
Godfrey, K. A. (2001). Teacher Questioning Techniques, Student Responses and Critical Thinking.
Ingram, J., & Elliott, V. (2014). Turn taking and 'wait time'in classroom interactions. Journal of Pragmatics, 62, 1-12.
Salija, K. Factors Causing Students' Reticence in EFL Class Khaeril Amri S.