Unpacking In-Class Silence from NESTs and NNESTs Perspectives = Unpacking In-Class Silence from NESTs and NNESTs Perspectives

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This comparative study investigates how both native and non-native English speaking student teachers (NESTs and NNESTs) in a U.S.-based TESOL program view their own and others’ participation in class discussions. Grounded in social identity theory, which postulates linkages between social categories and individual identities, this study examines how student teachers’ group membership as either NESTs or NNESTs influences their attitude toward the class participation of their own and the other group. To obtain an in-depth understanding of the socially situated and co-constructed nature of classroom participation, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted. The findings suggest that both NNEST and NEST participants notice asymmetrical power relations in class. In contrast to expectations, the different class participation modes between NESTs or NNESTs are more related to situation- and context-specific aspects (e.g., professors’ pedagogical approaches, peer pressure, class contents), than linguistic constraints or cultural norms. Drawing from the study findings, practical implications are discussed.