Sociocultural Factors Influencing Asian Students' Reticence in the ESL Classroom

Sociocultural Factors Influencing Asian Students' Reticence in the ESL Classroom

It is widely admitted that Asian students do not often interact orally in class (Pica. Young. & Doughty, 1987: Sato 1982: Tsui. 1996: White & Lightbown, 1984). This study, in comparison with Western students. explores what features of Asian students contribute most to their reticence in the multi-ethnic ESL classroom setting at the college level. Interviews were conducted with five Asian ESL students, three Western ESL students and two ESL teachers in an English Language Institute in the U. S. Five themes emerged as factors influencing the Asian students' reticence. It was found that these themes can be traced to their own countries. Their reticence is influenced by their own education modes in their countries.