AUTOMATICALLY MUTED: NAVIGATING SPEAKING CHALLENGES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN A COLLECTIVIST CULTURE

Abstract

Scholars have uncovered the ways in which collectivist culture influences EFL students’ classroom behavior, including how they behave in groups and refrain from speaking. Collectivist communication styles tend to favor harmonious group relations, avoid conflict, and indirect communication. Although previous studies have provided evidence of cultural influence in class, there is still little information on how collectivist culture caused university students to remain silent in classroom participation. Therefore, this study aims to deepen the discovery of the speaking challenges faced by university students in a collectivist culture. Through qualitative research methods, this study analyzes the experiences of university students in Indonesia as a collectivist country, and highlights the cultural factors that contribute to their reluctance to speak up in class. The study found that collectivist culture influences students’ willingness to speak up in class, implying how they should be silent when the others are also silent.