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CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Factors behind Students’ Silence in the EFL Classroom
The research investigates the factors behind students' silence in the EFL
classroom and the teacher's strategies used to break students' silence in the
English classroom. This chapter presents the research results and discusses the
findings intended to answer the study's problem. Data interpreted by researcher
will support the result of these findings. Based on the result from the interview
with the subject of the study, the researcher found four emergent themes
heading to the factors that possibly contribute to the students' silence in the
English classroom, which are psychological factors including lack of
confidence, fear of making mistakes and fear of other judgment, anxiety,
students personality, Linguistic Factors is a lack of English proficiency.
Cognitive factors is a lack of knowledge, and lastly Pedagogical Factors is
unsuitable teaching style. The researcher also found there are strategies teachers
can use to break students' silence in the EFL Classroom such as integrated
game-based learning, group presentation, and motivating the students. The
researcher presented the findings of the study below:

4.1.1 Psychological Factors

The research reveals that students' silence is affected by psychological

factors. The students stated that problems such as feeling unconfident, being
worried about making mistakes, being anxious, and their personalities are the
main problems while performing in English for communicative purposes. The
various statements in the interview results show that the researcher realizes that
their psychology causes reluctance to speak English in the classroom and to
remain silent. The data gained from the student’s perspective in terms of causes
of psychological factors that affect students' silence in school are lack of
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confidence, Fear of making mistakes, Fear of others' judgment, Anxiety, and

students' personalities.

a. Lack of Confidence

Lack of confidence was one of the main reasons for the students' silence
in the English classroom. This phenomenon can be attributed to the
psychological factor. From the interview results, it was determined that the
participants possessed a lack of self-confidence. The students are not
encouraged to participate actively in the learning activities because they need
to be more confident. Based on the interview results, students lacked confidence
because they were afraid of making mistakes and afraid of others judgment.
They are frequently afraid of making mistakes when they ask or responding the
teacher's questions. They think they will make mistakes when they speak, they
felt they did not do well and their responses will not be satisfying. They clarified
that their silence resulted from their apprehension about potential ridicule from
their teacher or classmates if they provided inaccurate responses, so they chose
to remain silent during classroom activities.

Excerpt 1

I am not confident when I have to speak in English; my English is so

poor. (Interview Participant 2, 23 January 2024).

I always felt less confident in English lessons when I had to speak in front of
many people. In the classroom, I mostly listened and took notes on the material
presented by the teacher. When it comes to asking questions, I never ask,
ma'am. I am embarrassed. Even if there is a class question, sometimes I hesitate
to answer, ma'am because I am afraid my answer does not match the teacher's
 20

expectations, I am worried I will get a negative response because my answer is

wrong. (Interview Participant 3, 25 January 2024).

I am afraid of making mistakes when answering or responding to the teacher.

If I am wrong and the answer is inappropriate for the teacher, my classmates
will ridicule me, so I am not confident. (Interview, participant 4, 27 January
2024).

From the statements above, Participant 2 stated that she felt unconfident
when she had to speak in English because her ability in English was so poor, so
she preferred to remain silent in the classroom. Furthermore, Partisipants 2 and
4 stated that they were hesitant to ask or respond to the teacher's questions
because they felt unconfident and they were afraid of making mistakes and
feared that their answers might be wrong and being judged. So they preferred
to remain silent, listen and take notes in the classroom. In line with Zafarina
(2022) stated that students have difficulty developing self-confidence because
they are consistently worried about making mistakes, preventing them from
actively participating. According to King and Smith (2017), who found that
students stay quiet and choose not to participate actively in the classroom
because they fear negative judgment from their classmates. Liu (2012) also
found that students remain silent because of fear of being corrected by their
teachers for every mistake they commit. Students often feel reluctant to actively
speak in class because they usually get hit with negative responses from peers.
The experience becomes a laugh after giving the wrong answer, so they feel
their answers are worthless and insecure to speak in class actively. As a result,
the English students preferred to remain silent in the classroom.

The finding was consistent with Gangavarape's (2022) statement that

students' silence is related to low self-confidence. Similarly, Hanh (2020),
 21

Zhouyuan (2016), and Liu (2000) revealed that a lack of confidence is a

significant factor contributing to students' silence. The participants discovered
that lack of confidence caused them to choose silence instead of actively
participating.

b. Students Anxiety

The statements below show that feeling nervous and anxious leads the
student to be passive and talk less in the classroom. In line with Liu (2005),
student reluctance and worries about speaking English to others in the school
are caused by Anxiety. As a result, staying silent becomes their only option in
such a situation.

Excerpt 2

I felt nervous when asked to speak, and my Anxiety also increased at that time.
I was very anxious and afraid of being asked to speak, especially in front of
many people. (Interview, Participant 2, 27 January 2024).

I always feel anxious and nervous when speaking in front of many people. I also
cannot speak English well. (Interview, Participant 3, 25 January 2024).

From the statements above, participants 2 And 3 stated they felt anxious
when speaking in front of many people. They were afraid and not confident to
talk, so it caused them to be reluctant to talk in the classroom. Feeling nervous
and anxious makes the student passive and less talkative in the classroom. In
line with Liu (2005), student reluctance and worries about speaking English to
others in the classroom are caused by Anxiety. High levels of Anxiety are one
aspect that could be the cause of students' reluctance to talk in EFL classroom
activities (Hanh, 2020). Hence, King (2018) stated that many foreign language
 22

learners experience feelings of humiliation, fear, and anxiety, which makes

them want to keep silent. King (2016) found that the predominant emotion most
frequently associated with silent behaviour was anxiety. EFL students may feel
more anxious because they try to use a foreign language but do not use it
competently. As a result, staying silent becomes their only option in such a
situation.

c. Students’ Personality

Students' personalities can contribute to silence during the teaching and

learning process in the classroom. Students with extroverted personalities tend
to be more active participants in school, while introverted ones tend to be quiet,
passive, and shy. Liu (2005) stated that students' personalities can positively
and negatively affect learning.

Excerpt 3

I rarely volunteer to answer even I know the answer because I am a shy person.
(Interview, Participant 1, 20 January 2024).

hmm... Because I am an introvert, ma'am, I do not talk much or interact with

other people, so even in class, I do not participate much in class
activities. (Interview, Participant 3, 23 January 2024).

I do not like talking too much, so I am quiet. (Interview, Participant 4, 27

January 2024).

From the statement above, the students stated that they have a
personality as an introverted and closed person. They felt embarrassed to speak
in the classroom, so they remained silent. According to Liu (2000), introverted
and feminine students are likely to stay quiet in class, indicating that gender and
 23

personality significantly impact participation patterns. Besides, Xie (2016)

stated that the primary cause of the silencing phenomena is the personalities
and gender of the students. Furthermore, Shan (2020) found that introverted
students are inclined to keep silent in routine communication. In this situation,
introverted students find difficulty in controlling communication and are afraid
to speak up. According to research findings, students’ personalities are closely
related to students’ silence.

In conclusion, psychological factors are the main reason for students'

silence in the classroom. Psychological factors contributing elements that
prevent the students from orally participating in class interaction may include
their lack of confidence, fear of making mistakes, fear of the teacher and
classmates' judgment, anxiety, and personalities as introverts and shy people.
They could not articulate their ideas orally due to fear of making mistakes. They
also need more confidence when speaking in front of others. Additionally, peer
pressure can lead to silence. Few students felt shy and insecure in front of their
friends after their speech. Then, they decided to remain silent.

4.1.2 Linguistic Factors

Apart from linguistic Factors, students also indicated that a lack of
English proficiency was a contributing factor that prevented them from
participating more actively. This research identifies lack of English proficiency
as a significant factor in students’ keeping silent in the classroom.
Consequently, maintaining a state of silence emerges as their sole recourse in
such situations or when they cannot express their ideas. The students also felt
confused about what they had to say.

Excerpt 4
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Eemmm... I think my English is lacking, ma'am. I do not know the vocabulary

of what I am going to say. (Interview, Participant 1, 20 January 2024).

My English is lacking, ma'am. I like to be confused about what I am going to

say. I often need to remember or learn the words in English because I do not
usually speak English, and I am afraid of pronouncing them wrong. Sometimes,
my friends mispronounce it, and we laugh at it because it sounds ridiculous. I
was also scared that if I made a mistake, I was afraid that my friends would
laugh at me. Yes, even though they were joking. (Interview, Participant 2, 23
January 2024).

I cannot speak English, ma'am. I think it is too difficult. I am confused about

what to say and don't know the vocabulary. (Interview, Participant 3, 25 January
2024).

Ee.. My English is bad, ma’am, I do not know the vocabulary, and I do not know
what to say. I feel confused when I try to say something in English, ma'am, I do
not know the vocabulary to say, eh, so I keep silent. (Interview, Participant 4,
27 January 2024).

According to the statements of the four participants, the main problem

is that students remain silent due to a lack of English proficiency. The
participants stated that they lack English language ability. In the interview
phase, the students assumed that a lack of English proficiency could be
attributed to a lack of grammar and vocabulary and the ability to construct
grammatically correct sentences effectively. They needed clarification about
creating their ideas in English, including problems translating them from
Indonesian into English, and they struggled to express themselves fully in
English.

Another significant factor leading to students being quiet in the

classroom is their lack of English language ability, as evidenced by research by
 25

Liu (2000) and Zhang & Li (2014). This is manifested in specific cases: Some
students find it challenging to understand the teacher's question, while others
find it difficult to communicate in English. (Wang, 2015). The results aligned
with other research conducted by Hanh (2020), Choi (2013), Hamoida (2013),
and Shan (2020), which linked students' reluctance to their limited English
proficiency.

4.1.3 Cognitive Factors

Cognitive factors are another factor influencing students’ Silence. One
of the reasons for students’ silence in the classroom due to Cognitive factors is
lack of knowledge. The students stated they chose to remain silent because they
did not know the answer and did not respond to the teacher's question. They
were hesitant to answer and respond to the question or needed help
understanding the topic or learning material discussed in the classroom. Hanh
(2020), stated that students remain silent because students do not know the
answer and do not understand the question, cannot express the idea and
unfamiliarity with the topics or tasks may all contribute to the learners’ failure
to vocally respond. As a result, staying silent became their option in such a
situation or when they could not express their ideas.

Excerpt 5

I do not know what I would say. I was silent because I could not find the answer.
(Interview, Participant 1, 20 January 2024).

I remain silent because of the material the teacher is conveying. I remained

silent because I did not understand the material the teacher explained. I
remained silent because I was thinking about what to ask the teacher.
(Interview, Participant 2, 23 January 2024).
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The interview results showed that they refrain from participating

actively in the classroom because they need more essential knowledge. They
also need to familiarise themselves with the topic and the learning material
presented by the teacher. So, they remain silent because they need help
understanding the learning material or topic the teacher teaches. Bao (2019)
stated that distraction, loss of interest, limited skill, and lack of knowledge can
all lead to problematic silence. Zhouyuan (2016) noted that some students did
not participate in class because they thought they were not as good as the others
or needed essential knowledge and abilities to complete the assignments. The
findings in this study concluded that the factors that influence the silence of the
students from the cognitive aspect are that they are less able to understand the
learning material and do not have schema or background knowledge related to
the topic being discussed in the classroom.

4.1.4 Pedagogical Factors

Another factor that plays a great role in contributing to the participants
into silence is the unsuitable teaching style. This factor is derived from
pedagogical Factors. The teacher’s methodology is also an aspect to consider.
Teacher methodology plays a very important role in students' participation in
classroom activities. In the interview results, most participants stated that the
teaching style was a factor in why they remained silent in the classroom.
According to (Zhouyuan, 2016; Hanh, 2020; and Shan 2020), teacher lecture
styles greatly influence students' silence.

Excerpt 6

The teacher only explains the material. It is tedious, ma'am. So I am too lazy to
ask because I am already bored in class. (Interview, Participant 2, 23 January
2024).
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Sometimes, the teacher only explains the material throughout the lesson, but I
just come to class, listen, and take notes, not allowing students to talk.
(Interview, Participant 4, 27 January 2024).

From the statement above, Participants 4 and 2 stated that in the learning
process, the teachers only explained the materials and did not give them the
opportunity for students to talk. Hence, it caused the students to be bored in the
classroom. This study indicates that some teachers used one-way teaching. The
teachers use a traditional method of teaching that is called teacher-centered. The
teachers explained the material and did not allow students to ask questions. In
that case, the students remain silent in the classroom. There is no interaction
between the teacher and the students. Students recognize silence as a necessary
component in the school due to the teacher-centred pedagogies that require
them to refrain from speaking (Bista, 2012). As a result, they are accustomed
to the teacher-centred model and will not ask even if they experience difficulties
understanding several essential points. According to Sulastri et al. (2021) stated
that the outhority or teaching style led to baredoom among students because the
teacher used teacher-centered and often requires long teaching session or one-
way presentation. As a result, the students prefer to remain silent, and they feel
bored with the traditional teaching that the teacher uses.

According to the data, this study found four factors affecting students’
silence in the EFL classroom. These factors include Affective factors
(psychological aspect), linguistic factors (lack of English proficiency),
cognitive factors (lack of knowledge), and pedagogical factors (Teachers'
methodology).
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4.2 Teacher’s Strategies for Breaking Students’ Silence in the EFL Classroom
4.2.1. Integrated Game-Based Learning
GBL refers to games for learning that aim to create a fun and supportive
atmosphere that can enhance student learning. GBL, or game-based learning,
aims to improve student learning by creating a pleasant and supportive
environment (Klimova, 2015). These games were designed to aid students'
learning at various levels of education. Fun learning activities allow students to
express their thoughts and improve learning outcomes. Students were allowed
space to think, correct, and assist one another while studying. The teacher
perceived that the way to help students' silence in the learning activities is to
integrate game-based learning to provide exciting learning for the students in
the learning process. As below:

Excerpt 7

Yes, students will be happy to learn by using fun learning methods. If the
learning method is fun, students, especially silent students, will interact and
participate actively in class (Interview, Participant 5, 02 February 2024).

By using the game-based learning method through games, students will be more
interested in learning, and all students will participate in it; apart from that, it
also provides exciting learning material. (Interview, Participant 5, 02 February
2024).

From the statement above, the participant stated that enjoyable learning
should be applied in the learning activities to encourage the silent students to
interact and participate in class activities. Creating a fun learning method can
make students enjoy learning. The participant stated that integrated game-based
learning became a fun learning method. GBL promotes meaningful interaction
between teachers and students (Madland & Richards, 2016). In line with Dewi
et al. (2021), the game provides a sense of freedom for the silent students while
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talking and describing things. In addition, the participant also stated that giving
engaging learning material can be a way to break silent students in the
classroom. Besides, Andriani et al. (2024) concluded that games can improve
students’ motivation and cooperation among students in learning English. Lie
and Jia (2006) proposed that teachers could enhance students' participation in
class by considering students' preferences and needs and by preparing engaging
material.

In addition, the teacher perceived role-play as an exciting learning

method that could reduce students’ silence in the EFL Classroom. As below:

Excerpt 8

The first was applying role play. I asked them to create a dialogue and
demonstrate it with their partner. I found that silent students could talk freely
and interactively with their partners. Role play helps students, especially silent
students, to give themselves the courage to speak and participate actively in
class. (Interview, Participant 5, 02 February 2024).

From the statement above, the participant stated that she used role play
to engage silent students to speak in the classroom. She stated that applying role
play in classroom activity can help the silent students dare to speak and interact
actively with their partners. Kilgour et al. (2015) stated that role play is an active
learning method that can help students become more adept at interacting with
their partners. In some ways, role play can add interest and enjoyment to
speaking and learning activities, and it helps shy students speak by giving them
a chance to speak up and express themselves ( Arifin et al., 2015). This can
arouse students’ curiosity and motivate them to participate in English classes
because role-play techniques provide entertaining and exciting activities. In
conclusion, role play is a teaching method that encourages student engagement
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and participation because the teacher indicated that all students are engaged and
actively participate while teaching and learning English in the classroom.

4.2.2 Group Presentations

Another finding demonstrated that one strategy teachers used to break
students’ silence in the classroom was to have them work in group
presentations.

Excerpt 9

The second is applying for a group presentation. This is effective when applied
to silent students so they can participate. For example, I determine several
groups and choose students who are silent as speakers. Indirectly, they must be
ready to talk. Finally, they were able to contribute vocally. This also trains
students to be confident and become active students in a class (Interview,
Participant 5, 02 February 2024).

According to the statement above, the participant stated that group

presentations can be applied to silent students to participate in the classroom.
In the school, the teacher divides the students into several groups and chooses
the silent students as speakers, indirectly, it makes them contribute and
participate orally in classroom activities. Dewi et al. (2021) stated that group
presentation is a component of student-centred learning, it is one of the
strategies combined with group discussion, and it is expected that students will
be able to learn independently and creatively. With group presentations,
students are expected to be more confident to speak and participate in the
classroom. Mahmud (2017) stated that group presentations improve students'
ability to deliver their ideas and encourage discussion in the classroom. Finally,
group presentations encourage the silent students to participate verbally as they
take on the role of speakers.
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4.2.3 Motivating students

Another thing that helps them realize something is that silent students
need simulation to facilitate their engagement and progress in the learning
process. In this situation, the teacher should motivate their students, particularly
silent students, as they give motivation like rewards and positive feedback. The
following data support the insight:

Excerpt 10

As mentioned earlier, I will convince the students that they can speak English
well and also help the students increase their self-confidence by convincing
them not to be afraid of making mistakes because from the mistakes we can
know what should corrected. I also provide rewards in the form of additional
points to motivate them and provide positive feedback for their efforts in having
the courage to speak as a form of appreciation. (Interview, Participant 5, 02
February 2024).

From the statement above, the participant stated that to involve silent
students to participate in the classroom, they need to motivate the students to
speak English. The teachers should help the students increase their self-
confidence by convincing them that they can speak English well, so it can set
up their positive learning attitudes in speaking English. To motivate the silent
students, the participant also stated that she was giving a reward and giving
positive feedback as a form of appreciation to students for having the courage
to speak in the classroom. Motivating students can be highly effective in
overcoming silent students and encouraging active engagement in the
classroom. According to Vibulphol (2016), motivation is vital to success and
failure in learning a second language. In this situation, teachers play a critical
role in motivating their students, as they provide extrinsic motivation such as a
reward, a compliment, and another external acknowledgement that may
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encourage students to engage in class more often (Grisskel et al., 2020) as cited
in Kandilla et al., (2021). Motivating the students can encourage silent students
to be more active in the classroom. Increasing learners' motivation is essential
in this scenario, as is aiding students in learning through words and deeds.
Positive feedback when students make a tiny Progress in speaking can motivate
them to accomplish more. It is best if the teacher appreciates that learners make
an effort even when mistakes are made.

According to the data, this study found three strategies for breaking
students’ silence in the EFL classroom: integrated game-based learning, Group
presentation, and motivating the students. These strategies can help teachers
break students’ silence in the classroom and encourage them to participate
actively in class activities.