A Critical Review of Sibel Tatar’s Article “Why Keep Silent? The Classroom Participation Experiences of Non- Native- English-Speaking Students”

Abstract

This study explores Sibel Tatar’s contribution to the field of language teaching and learning. The main focus is to understand the functions and interpretations of silence from learners’ insights through the prism of multidimensional factors such as learners’ cultural, psychological and contextual perspectives to ensure a smooth teaching and learning. Tatar’s interview with Turkish learners made us understand that there’s more to silence than the word’s literal meaning suggests it is revelatory. Turkish learners have their own interpretations for their silence and to them, silence is logical. This study basically addresses the needs of the Turkish students and will help instructors to comprehend the background of learners’ silence. Undoubtedly understanding the underlying causes of silence can come in handy in teaching. It also aims to elaborate the impact of learning behavior in the field of second language acquisition. It unfolds silence as an effective learning process. The study traces out the significance of learners’ silence and found both silence and activity as quintessential learning tools. In order to clarify the connection of silent learners with their society and culture, I have taken ideas from Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory of cognitive development and quoted from different other journals and books of the related areas. I have tried also to justify the meaning and function of silence in Tatar’s study based on my classroom observation in secondary schools and in tertiary level institutions. I have compared among the findings of learners’ silence from many studies, analyze them and evaluate learners’ needs.