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Why are second language learners in Japan´s universities so silent? This book investigates the perplexing but intriguing phenomenon of classroom silence and draws on ideas from psychology, sociolinguistics and anthropology to offer a unique insight into the reasons why some learners are either unable or unwilling to speak in a foreign language.

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Foreword by Zoltán Dörnyei 1. Introduction 2. Major Theoretical Frameworks of Silence 3. An Interdisciplinary Overview of Silence in Japan 4. A Critical Analysis of Japan´s Language Education System 5. A Structured Observation Study into L2 Classroom Silence 6. An Interview Study Into Learners´ Perspectives on L2 Classroom Silence 7. A Naturalistic Stimulated Recall Study of Specific Silence Events 8. Summary and Conclusions Appendices

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Jim King is a lecturer in the School of Education, University of Leicester, UK. A Post-doctoral Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), he worked for a number of years in Japan as a lecturer, researcher and teacher trainer.

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