Book contents
- Silence in English Language Pedagogy
- Silence in English Language Pedagogy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- 1 Embracing Silence in Education
- 2 The Presence of Silence in Second Language Acquisition
- 3 Trends in Silence Research
- 4 Elements That Shape Pedagogy for Silence
- 5 Problematising Silence
- 6 Ways of Addressing Classroom Silence
- 7 Online Silence
- 8 Coping with Undesirable Online Silence
- 9 Silence in ELT Task Design
- 10 Some Ideas for Silence Research
- References
- Index
5 - Problematising Silence
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 February 2023
- Silence in English Language Pedagogy
- Silence in English Language Pedagogy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- 1 Embracing Silence in Education
- 2 The Presence of Silence in Second Language Acquisition
- 3 Trends in Silence Research
- 4 Elements That Shape Pedagogy for Silence
- 5 Problematising Silence
- 6 Ways of Addressing Classroom Silence
- 7 Online Silence
- 8 Coping with Undesirable Online Silence
- 9 Silence in ELT Task Design
- 10 Some Ideas for Silence Research
- References
- Index
Summary
The chapter evaluates the question ‘why silent?’ in research and reconceptualises how such inquiry should be contextualised to make the investigation more meaningful and freer from prejudice. To do so, the discussion presents a range of critical scenarios where silence fails to function productively, elaborates how problems occur in context and suggests ways of coping with each of those problems. The author argues that silence is an open construct whose meaning cannot be universally conclusive. The ‘why silent?’ inquiry, which demands a once-and-for-all answer, may not be useful as it risks diminishing the dynamic of a highly complex and constantly changing experience. A student who is quiet in one class may not be quiet in another class. To capture this person as an inherently shy learner might be misleading because such a trait may vanish when the student is reconditioned by a new classroom setting. This means that what researchers have tried so hard to seize has now become non-existent. Silence is a chameleon whose behaviour constantly responds to its surroundings rather than acting independently.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Silence in English Language PedagogyFrom Research to Practice, pp. 74 - 86Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023