Silent Voices: What Happens to Quiet Students during Classroom Discussions?

Jane S. Townsend

The English Journal, Vol. 87, No. 2. (Feb., 1998), pp. 72-80.

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 Silent Voices: What Happens
to Quiet Students ~ u -r i g
-I -*

Classroom Uiscussions!
Jane S. Townsend

n eleventh-gradeEnglish class is dis- asked questions that were open to personal

cussing Hamlet, and the teacher has interpretation, where wondering could be
been trying to direct students' atten- expressed without ridicule or disparagement,
tion to Hamlet's changing character, where the discussion format provided a wel-
displayed dramatically in the scene come forum for differing views. I wasn't at-
between Hamlet and his mother tempting to describe prevailing practice or
when he skewers the eavesdropping common interaction patterns; I was looking
Polonius. At that point, a student for an exemplary classroom where real dis-
raises a question that changes the cussion flourished.
subsequent course of the discussion In the course of that study, and because
and opens up a lively exchange several of the students I interviewed spoke
about the female characters' perspectives in little during the discussions I was analyzing
the play: -and yet were quite verbal during our one-
SILCA: Did the queen have a choice to-one conversations-I became intrigued by
In a case their silent perspectives. Unless purposeful
study of three-,
when she remarried?
TEACHER: See, we don't really know measures are taken to solicit and help develop
that Do you mean like the government, everyone's views (measures such as writing
graders, would they plan it, is that what you mean? before and after a discussion as well as prepa-
ratory small-group and paired talk) teachers
students view SILCA: No, I mean like, did she have a
often don't hear much from the quiet stu-
tapes of class say in her second marriage? Cause, I mean.
dents in their classrooms. In classroom dis-
diSCUSSiOnS Hamlet's like blaming his mom.
cussions particularly, teachers tend to focus
and comment. Whether Gertrude, the queen, was an ac- on talkative members of class and may as-
complice in her first husband's murder, a con- sume that quiet students aren't as prepared,
niving instigator in the tragedy, or whether aren't as interested, or possibly even aren't as
she was an innocent victim, buffeted by sharp as their outspoken peers. Often, teach-
events not of her making, became then a sub- ers simply don't have the time or energy to
ject of considerable interest in the discussion, worry about students who don't talk when
sparking many different perspectives and other students are asking for immediate re-
possibilities. However, though many stu- sponses to their ideas and questions.
dents were excitedly vocal in their responses Do quiet students run the risk of being
to the question, a number of other students missed?Even worse,when we extol the value
spoke not a word. What were those quiet stu- of talk in our English classrooms, do we
dents thinking and feeling? sometimes neglect to help all students feel
I had the opportunity to interview some comfortableand confident speaking to a large
of those students during a case study of one group? Do we sometimes then also inadver-
teacher's classroom literature discussions tently offend or belittle students whose class-
(Townsend 1991). Even though many stud- room participation runs silently?
ies of classroom discourse have documented
the persistent dearth of genuine discussion in INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS
our schools (Alvermann et al. 1990; Cazden For the interviews, the teacher of the
1988; Marshall et al. 1995), 1 looked for an class generously arranged a room in her home
English classroom where real, broadly inter- near the school where she connected the
active discussion was a staple of classroom English department's VCR to her television.
life. The challenge was to find a classroom It was a private and informal place; the par-
where both the teacher and the students ticipants sat on the couch or rug next to the
VCR for easy access to the pause button his head, told me he wished I had chosen to
should they wish to remark on a particular study discussions about different books. He
event in the discussion, and I sat on the rug had a hard time understanding the language
in front of the VCR so I could press the of Shakespeare in Hamlet, and he was bored
pause button when I saw something I with the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
wanted to ask about. The night before the Are Dead (a modern play, thematically tied to
inter~lews,I developed a kind of mental ge- Hamlet) was easier to understand, and in-
ography of the discussion by reviewing a deed, Rex talked more in that discussion
videotape of each discussion and making than he had in the previous two about Ham-
notes so that I could find points of particular let. Even so, his participation, according to
interest to view. I selected episodes for the both Rex himself and his teacher,was unusu-
students and teacher to watch, and some- ally subdued. Nevertheless, during his inter-
times, during the interview someone asked views, he provided a good deal of vivid
to see another particular exchange. information about his unspoken thoughts
Questions that I asked during the inter- and feelings during the discussions,and per-
views included some version of the following: haps he represents many students who feel
What strikes you most in thinking alienated from their textual materials.
about the previous day's discussion? Another student also somewhat con-
What were you thinking at the time (of a founded the teacher's assessment of her par-
particular episode from the discussion)? ticipation style. Anne, a thoughtful young
What do you think the point was (of a woman with long, wahy dark hair, had been
particular interchange or comment)? labeled "quiet" by the teacher, and in truth,
How engaged were you? during our interviews she was diffident and
Did any new ideas or questions come to soft-spoken. Nevertheless, in the second dis-
your mind? cussion of Hamlet that I studied, Anne sur-
Did you think about, talk about, read prised the teacher and herself by speakingup
about, or write about anything from the at several points. The teacher thought that
discussion afterwards?
perhaps she had gained confidence from the
Were there any comments you didn't
lively conversation she and I had had during
make but wished you had?
her first interview. Indeed, in all of the inter-
What purpose did the discussion serve
for you? views, her insights about the discussion dy-
namics revealed an active level of mental
Also, I continually asked for clarification of participation with the issues raised even
responses. Although I had a prepared list of though she maintained a generally quiet
questions to ask, I took my cues from the stance in class.
participants as to both the order and sub- No question about the characterization
stance of my queries (Goetz and Lecompte of the third quiet student I interviewed;An-
1984). I was also open about my own igno- gela, a good-humored, rosy-cheeked blonde,
rance and uncertainty on various matters, a never uttered a word out loud to the group-
stance that probably encouraged an open- at-large during the four months I was in the
ness and candor among the students. In any classroom.Angela had little patience with the
case, they all appeared to be comfortable, complicated literary issues raised in the dis-
and in general, the interviews were great fun cussions,but she was an assiduous note-taker
for me. The students brought unique, per- and made the highest grade on the end-of-
sonal perspectives to our conversations (and study exam, the "quotes test," a test of the
chose their own pseudonyms). context and significance of important quota-
THE STUDENTS tions from Hamlet. Nevertheless, she was
Although I had intended to interview irritated with the uncertainty of literary inter-
two normally chatty and two usually quiet pretation, and, in her interviews, Angela was
students (identifiedas such by the teacher),as forthright in her appraisal of both the value
it turned out, three of the four-Rex, Anne, and limitations of classroom discussion.
and Angela-were generally silent during the To begin to understand what happens to
three discussions I studied. quiet students during classroom discussion,
Rex, an athletic young man with short the perspectives of these three students merit
brown hair and a perpetual baseball cap on consideration. While the reasons that partic-

English Journal
ular students are quiet are no doubt various with the class. When I asked him why, he
and multiple, these students represent a range explained:
of classroom personalities. A close examina- 'Cause it's such a boring play, I mean.
tion of the details of their experience is star- . . . 'Cause there's no action. I mean
tling in that we can see each student make there's action, but it doesn't seem like
sense of the same classroom events in re- [it] comes very often. Whenever the
markably different ways. action parts come up that we talk
about, I kind of get into it, but then, I
REX: WILLING BUT CONFUSED kind of go in and out of the class, you
Rex was silent during discussions of know? . . . When an action part comes,
then I'm listening, but. . . . Like when
Hamlet, but, according to his teacher and he's talking to his mom, and he goes
himself, he wasn't normally quiet in class. He and shoves the knife in the curtain and
didn't enjoy reading Hamlet, often becoming kills Polonius and that.
confused and frustrated with Shakespearean
That Rex felt enlivened at that point in
language, resorting to Cl@s Notes for a basic
the discussion and labeled it an action part is
understanding of plot and characters, and
interesting. It's at that point in the discussion
laughing with his best friend after class about
when the teacher draws attention to Hamlet's
how "stupid" the play was.
changng character in the bedroom scene
When I asked him why he wasn't talking
with his mother, where indeed Hamlet does
in class, he told me, "I don't understand
impale the eavesdropping Polonius, that fe-
what's going on, so I can't say anything." He
male students in the class began questioning
liked to participate in discussions and elabo-
Gertrude's motivation in the play Silca's
rated on his plight in our first interview:
question about whether the queen had a
I talk more in the books that I under- choice in manylng the murderous Claudius
stand. But, I think everybody does. I
mean there's a lot, there's only a few succeeded in influencing the subsequent
people talking there, but I mean, when course of the entire discussion.
we really get into the books that, you Of that issue, Rex had no memory What
know, like, I understand, I guess more he did remember, aside from the momentar-
people in class understand them better ily interesting "action part," was that, "some-
too. But, it gets a lot better. It would body says something about women's lib or
probably have been better if you'd
done a different book. something like that." When I asked him what
he had been thinking, he provided the fol-
Rex had great difficulty with Shake- lowing description:
speare's language and at the beginning was It just made me think of how the girls,
lost in a mire of confusion about Hamlet. like in high school, they're always
When I asked him what he remembered wanting this and that, but then, and
from the first discussion, he told me he they get it most of the time, you know,
couldn't remember anything. Although all of they get their women's lib, whatever
the participants I interviewed had some they want, but then it's still the guys
who have to-'cause like the day be-
trouble remembering much about the previ- fore in track, they had made all the
ous day's discussion when I first asked about guys go move the mats and every-
it, after looking at a bit of video, memory thing, and the girls just sat there, and
usually flooded back. What Rex remem- it just made me [mad].
bered with great clarity, however, rarely had Rex had clearly drifted away from the
much to do with the substance of the dis- topics under discussion in the classroom-
cussions. His memory usually involved pe- both from the issue of Gertrude's plight
ripheral matters such as interchanges with raised by females in the class and from the
friends and events from his past. teacher's question about the changing nature
Rex participated more in the next class of Hamlet's character. What drew his atten-
discussion of Hamlet that we talked about, tion was a personal experience that he
and he told me that with the help of the Clas associated with other students' interest in
Notes, he understood it "a little bit better." In- Gertrude's role, an experience that indeed
deed, by the end of his work on Hamlet, Rex did have a personal connection-issues of
did quite well, making a B on the "quotes gender are universal-to questions about
test." However, he also told me he was bored the female characters' plight in the play Rex
was attending to the discussion but in his keen and curious mind in our conversational
own way talk about literary issues.
When I asked Rex in one of our inter- For Anne, the first discussion we talked
views why he hadn't asked a question out about was a fairly straightforward introduc-
loud that instead he had whispered to a good tion to the characters in Hamlet. She was in-
friend, he told me he simply hadn't wanted terested in following up issues raised during
the teacher to think that "I didn't do my her reading. When I asked her what purpose
homework or something." I asked Rex about the discussion had served for her, she replied,
the frequent one-to-one exchanges he had "Well listening, yeah, listening to other peo-
with his friend during the discussions, and ple helps me under-, you know, connect
he explained that often the two of them were things in my mind." I asked her to elaborate,
trylng to figure out things between them- and she made the following remark:
selves. I observed many students in the class Well, when I, you know, when other
exchangng occasional asides with each people bring up points, they're, just
other, and other students told me the same anything,just generally talking about
thing-these private interchanges between it in class, reminds me of things, and
students were often about the very issues then I can start 'cause I've already read
it through once, and this is like the
being discussed by the group at large. second time going back over it, so you
Another reason Rex suggested for not can-it's a lot easier to-connect
venturing an uncertain comment or question things even if you're just generally dis-
out loud was that he might be interrupting cussing it.
the teacher. Indeed, finding what H. Mehan
(1979) called the "seams" in classroom dis-
This first class discussion of Hamlet served as Ma?
teac ers
a review of Anne's reading and also as a
course where one can appropriately interject source of new ideas for her continued read-
assume that
a remark, especially in discourse that is as ing. She followed the discussion of literary is- quiet students
unpatterned and unpredictable as real dis- sues and questions with interest and looked aren't as
cussion, surely challenges all participants forward to continuing those explorations. prepared,
and is one reason students may be quiet.
Rex saw a value in the classroom discus-
When I asked her about making com- aren't as
sions; he felt they helped him write an as-
ments to the class at large, she responded, "I interested, or
just don't like to; I don't usually bring any- possibly even
signed paper that required some original thing up." She also told me that when she did
thinking. He told me he used the issues other have a comment to make, often someone else
aren't as
students raised in discussion when he was brought it up before she could. She seemed sharp as their
planning the paper. He said, eyes twinkling, content to remain an observer and gave a outspoken
"I can, you know, tie the ideas, the good ideas great deal of thought and attention to the peers.
from class, put a little b.s. with it and add on comments others were making.
the theme, and it works." Rex liked the ca- When I asked her what she found partic-
maraderie made possible in whole group ularly intriguing in that first discussion, she
discussion, but he was frustrated in the dis- replied:
cussions of Hamlet. In one of the interviews,
the teacher told me she had noticed "his When [the teacher] got down to talk-
ing about just general characteristics
eyes," eyes of confusion and eyes quite differ- about Hamlet and stuff, or whoever
ent than the ones he shared with me. she was talking about. I guess that
was, you know, I like getting down to
ANNE: SOFTSPOKEN AND SHY these kind of things, questions like
In the first discussion of Hamlet, Anne that, and then, ha, I kind of wait for
did not make an out-loud comment. How- other people to start, you know, bring-
ever, over the course of my research, and par- ing up evidence for it.
ticularly in the next discussion I studied,-she She relied, in some measure, on other
spoke up several times, making interesting students to supply the reasoning that builds a
points. In our interview sessions, Anne and I case for personal views on an issue. Her own
explored at some depth many of the topics interpretations, however, were also given
that came up in class, and these interchanges close textual attention as she read her assign-
probably influenced her classroom participa- ments. Her energetic wonderings about the
tion. Although she was hesitant to express her motivation of various characters was the type
ideas in class discussion, she demonstrated a
English Journal 75
 of wondering-wondering about human written, and I didn't, um, bring up." I asked
plights-thatconstituted the nature of most why, and she replied, "It didn't come up in
participants' expressed wonderings in these class I don't think, um, [looking through her
discussions. The voiced reasoning of others book] like I had a question on this, some-
apparently helped direct and elaborate her thing the queen had said. I guess I didn't even
thinking about the issues of character and understand what was going on." She added,
plight that she so relished pondering (see "It's probably just wording, though."
Townsend 1991 for further discussion of Anne was giving the language of the text,
wondering discourse). the meaning of particular passages close at-
Anne was a reserved person who said tention, perhaps partly in preparation for the
that she liked to write "rather than talk." Al- "quotes test." In any case, that she had previ-
though she did not express any wonderings ously written down her ideas, undergoing in
during the class discussions, she shared a essence a kind of rehearsal, gave her both the
number with me during our interviews. confidence and the verbal forms to express
When I asked her if she followed up on the is- her thinking when she saw an opportunity
sues raised during a class discussion, she told However, she felt constrained to wait until
me she often returned to notes she had com- someone else had initiated the topic.
piled during class and during her reading to She became intrigued by the discussion
reconsider a question. Apparently, writing on about the women's point of view in the play
her own allowed her a more comfortable way and noted particularly the question about
than talking to express her ideas and remem- Gertrude's complicity in the murder of her
ber her thoughts. Yet she said she often former husband. She told me the teacher had
referred back to questions raised in the dis- called attention to the point, and she was
cussions. ~ h o u ~ hquiet
- a student, Anne ac- waiting to see what she thought when she
St~dentSwho tively speculated about literary issues; she continued her reading. Another example of
are quiet was opening her mind and entertaining mul- Anne's careful interest in the discussions
during class tiple possibilities and perspectives. about Hamlet came at a point when the
discussions When I mentioned during our second teacher was trying to draw attention to the
interview that she had contributed a number moral dilemma that faced Hamlet as a seeker
be doing of points to the previous day's discussion, she of revenge within the context of a Christian-
im Ortant
P
menta ~ o r h
remarked, "I couldn't believe I was so talka-
. tive." She enjoyed reading, and she enjoyed
thinking about issues in literature. However,
ity that eschewed vengeance. The teacher
proceeded to expand on this notion with a
13-line discourse on blood feuds, trylng to
she was self-conscious and self-critical.At one remind students of the previous year's read-
point during an interview, she was reflecting ing of BeowuZf.
on her ideas about one of the discussion top- After a brief pause and no response, the
ics and said, "I'm glad I didn't say anything teacher initiated a new topic, the character of
'cause it wouldn't have made any sense." Polonius. In my interview with the teacher,
For Anne, the second discussion we she lamented the students' apparent lack of
talked about was more engaging than the attention to Hamlet's "tight spot." However,
first. She told me, "I was interested 'cause I Anne told me in our interview that she had
was talking partly" When I asked what had been considering that very point. What
made her talk, she told me that during her sparked Anne's interest in part was why the
reading, she had been thinking back to ideas teacher had put the play in a Christian con-
discussed previously When she turned to a text. She asked me, "Are we putting it in a
point in the text that was under current dis- Christian context just because, um, for Ham-
cussion, and she had already written a com- let's sake?" Perhaps, too, many teachers get
ment next to it, then she could speak the discouraged because of a mistaken belief that
thought out loud with some confidence. I if students aren't speaking, they're not inter-
asked her if she'd had any ideas that she ested and not paylng attention. Students who
hadn't had a chance to express, she said, are quiet during class discussions may be
"Well, actually I did. I think I had a, see, I doing important mental work.
didn't go look through where, you know, at Anne was a quiet student who nonethe-
what I had written unless we were looking at less maintained a high level of mental in-
it in class, but there were some things I had volvement with the issues under discussion

February 1998
by other class members. She enjoyed the ex- sometimes I do speak up a bit, but, and
change of ideas and continued to think, read, Catherine and I talk, too, a little." Neverthe-
and &te about them. Yet she often hesitated less, Angela was constrained by the stress of
to venture forth with her own ideas. Even in worrying that she might be called on to ex-
her writing, she slowly and carefully consid- plain ideas that were vague and tentative.
ered the complexity of literary issues. For ex- Does that kind of worry prevent other
ample, she needed extra time to complete the students from exploring new ideas out loud?
"quotes test." Anne was especially vulnerable Were this teacher's attempts to encourage
to the ephemeral nature of discussion.Having students to elaborate on their ideas yet an-
time to compose her thoughts seemed essen- other unintentional version of the "gentle
tial for her to make out-loud contributions. inquisition" (Eeds and Wells 1989)? Appar-
ently, teachers' abundant use of questions
ANGELA: IRRITATED
AND IMPATIENT in the classroom can dampen students' de-
Angela was also one of the quiet stu- sires to speak out about ideas they are just
dents in class; during all my observations, beginning to formulate (Cazden 1988;Dillon
she never made a comment out loud except 1994).
to her best friend, Catherine, in occasional Angela expressed impatience with her
asides. She told me that she never talked English class and the "indecisiveness" of
much in her English class, and when I asked literature study. Perhaps all real discussion-
her if her participation differed from class to because it must invite differing perspectives
class, she replied: -requires an openness to possibilities that
rejects definitive resolution. In any case, An-
Kind of, yeah. But in some classes, I
really don't talk much, just, I've de- gela was frequently displeased with the va-
cided it's because, first, I've always garies of the class discussions. The following
been shy and second, I think it's like is from our first interview:
public school background 'cause You know, I just don't like getting re-
you're not supposed to, you know? ally deep into things. . . . that kind of
. . . I think it's just from my back-
indecision, I think, and I mean, some-
ground and just personality kind of. times I like it, but not, I think part of
'Cause it's, and I don't feel, well, I do it's, not in the afternoon, you know,
now, but I didn't used to totally feel with history left to go, and it's just. . . .
comfortable in that class, just because I think I like to do it more on my own,
I wasn't used to it. And so, until I'm too. Like when I'm reading it at night
comfortable in there, I'm not going to in my room, you know, sitting there
just burst out. and, you don't have anything else to
Although she did not speak out to the do and you have plenty of time and
you just sit there and think, hey,
class at large, in our interviews she revealed maybe this meant, you know, but I
a good deal of thoughtful attention to, and don't like to just sit in the classroom
good humor about, the issues under discus- and have it discussed.
sion. In class, she took notes conscientiously
and made the highest grade in the class on Like many high school students, Angela
the "quotes test." Despite her apparent virtu- had a schedule that was busy and pressure-
osity with literary matters, Angela admitted bound. Angela told me, "It's nice to have
that one reason she was averse to making things, like, decisive because you have so
comments in class was because she thought much homework, that, you know, you don't
have time to think about this, you have to
the teacher would ask her to elaborate:
do whatever else." Here again, in a different
Well, another thing in English is I hate way, we can see the pressure of time con-
it when you say something, and you
haven't really thought it too far down, straining a student's participation in class-
you know, and then she'll like say, room discussion.
"Well what about . . . ?" Ah, I don't Angela used the class discussion as a way
know, you know? [laughs] Forget it. to organize her own thoughts from her read-
When I asked Angela if that made her ing and prepare for the upcoming test:
feel as if she'd rather not venture, she agreed ''That's why I take a lot of notes because then
and said whatever point she might raise usu- when you go back and look over it, it helps a
ally got covered anyway She added, "I mean, whole lot to see what, you know, little things,

English Journal
 what hidden meanings and stuff that hap- were their reasons different for not talking
pened." Though she was attentive to the dis- out loud in the discussions. Certainly, other
cussions, she expressed little enthusiasm for students have other reasons, rangng from
the undertaking. personality and mood to cultural conflicts
Angela did say she became interested in and gender role expectations and prejudices.
the question of the queen's motive when the Talkativeness is apparently not a fixed
teacher began to wonder about Gertrude's in- characteristic. When asked, the teacher of
nocence, but she told me her response to the these students had no difficulty identifying
student who first raised the issue was tem- "quiet" and "chatty" members of her class,
pered by skepticism she felt for anything that and indeed Angela was labeled "quiet" and
student said. She told me bluntly that Silca's never made an out-loud comment during my
question was "stupid." One reason for this observations. But, in contrast, Rex was la-
harsh response had to do with Angela's pre- beled "chatty"and yet wasn't at all talkative in
conceived, generally low opinion of that discussions of Hamlet, and Anne was listed as
particular student's comments. What's inter- "quiet,"but spoke out on several occasions.
esting is that Angela did become engaged Why students choose to speak out on
when the teacher-later in the discussion- some occasions and remain quiet on others is
expressed a similar wondering about the complicated. Many factors influenced the
queen. Other students in my study men- participation styles of the students I inter-
tioned personal dislike for classmates as a viewed. How much, and what kind of, pre-
reason for inattention or disdain toward their paration they'd done for the discussion, what
remarks. The interaction of individual per- opportunities arose for interjecting a topic of
sonalities and preconceived attitudes toward particular, personal interest, or for respond-
Why students fellow students apparently has a powerful in- ing to topics of related interest, certainly af-
fluence on attention and interest. Fear of fected these students' choices about when,
choose to peers' judgment may be another reason why how, and indeed whether, to speak up.
speak out some students shrink from speaking out. These students had preconceived atti-
on some Angela was a conscientious student who tudes about their classmates that also influ-
occasions and expressed conflicting feelings about open- enced how much attention they gave to
remain quiet ended, uncertain, searching activity in dis- particular issues raised in the discussion.
on others is cussion. She was irritated with what she saw More than once, informants told me of com-
as the pointless meanderings in much of the ments they ignored from students they didn't
complicated. class discussions, and she would have pre- respect. That kind of peer judgment may
ferred to reach definite conclusions so she keep shy or uncertain students from speak-
could more easily move on to her next as- ing out. The students generally viewed the
signment. Nevertheless, Angela was payng teacher's comments favorably, but Angela
careful attention to the discussions, and her mentioned feeling constrained by the possi-
participation, though unspoken, was active. bility that the teacher would ask her to elab-
orate on her ideas. The common practice of
WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO? teachers' directing and sustaining discussion
Consider That Students Are Silent through long series of questions actually in-
for Wide-Ranging Reasons hibits some students from speaking up.
Why certain students don't speak out in
classroom discussions is complicated. Rex Consider That Students Who

Are Quiet May Be Learning

was quiet because of confusion about the What these three "quiet" students told
course material even after serious personal me in a series of interviews raises questions
effort to make sense of it, or, perhaps at
about assuming that students who are quiet
times, because of insufficient preparation for during discussions are inattentive, unpre-
class. Anne was generally quiet because of a pared, uninterested, or uncooperative. Rex
shy personality, though she did speak out was confused about the course material and
when circumstances were encouragng. An- didn't want the teacher to think he hadn't
gela was silent because of a shy personality as done his homework. Although he was strug-
well as her irritation and impatience with the gling to understand Hamlet, he simply didn't
inconclusive nature of personal interpreta- know enough about what was going on
tion. As different as each student was, so too
to form a question. In contrast, Anne was
intently engaged in the issues raised during demonstrated during classroom discussions,
the discussions, but she was shy and diffi- and all of the students I talked to remarked
dent of her opinions. She also needed more on the benefit of the discussions in their
time to formulate her thoughts than the dis- studies. They told me that listening to both
cussions generally allowed. their teacher and their peers helped prepare
Angela was a very different case than ei- them for the tests they had to take as well as
ther of the other two. She didn't lack confi- for the papers they were assigned to write.
dence in her opinions, although she did Listening to another student's comment or
describe herself as shy. Instead, she kept a question might raise a new idea or alleviate
purposeful distance from the course mater- like-minded confusion. The class discussions
ial, carefully taking notes but not becoming often seemed to plant seeds of thought for
emotionally or intellectually engaged in the later, private cultivation. And, presumably,
topics of discussion. because one often elaborates ideas in re-
Many students feel pressed for time in sponse to listening ears, talkative students
school. Angela remarked on the frustration can benefit from quiet students' attention.
she felt with the uncertainty of discussion
HELPING STUDENTS SPEAK OUT
when she had so many other assignments to
The range of reasons that students are
do. Anne needed enough time to compose
quiet during discussion are sure to be as var-
her thoughts, time that often was missing
ied as each student who finds it hard to ex-
from the immediate give-and-take of the
press ideas out loud in a large-group setting.
classroom interaction. Rex was struggling to
We must find ways of helping all students
keep up with the pace of talk about literary
feel confident and comfortable speaking out.
issues before he had mastered the basics of
How might we help all students be ready
plot and character.
and willing to explain their ideas? What are
In most classrooms, students get high
some ways to encourage students to deepen
grades if they work and think fast. Possibly,
their thinking? What might lessen the in-
many students are quiet during discussions
evitable stress and press of classroom time
because discussion itself is so time-consum-
constraints?A few ideas that may help:
ing. According to James Marshall et al.'s
study of classroom discussion (1995),both Encourage students to generate questions
teachers and students feel intense pressure they care about and ask them to bring
to class, in writing, their own topics for
to "cover" specific curricular material. There discussion.
may be little additional time available for
Allow five to ten minutes at the beginning
idiosyncratic thinking, even though new of class for students to collect their
ideas often come from diverse perspectives thoughts or skim the assignment.
and the multiple possibilities engendered by Before discussion,have students write down
wondering. their reactions to their reading and, after the
Consider Multiple Means to Collect discussion,ask them to assess the influence
and Spur Students' Thinking of the class talk on their thinking.
In discussions, teachers have an oppor- Organize small group or paired talk to
tunity to encourage the kinds of thinking generate discussion questions-open-
they wish to nurture in students, and appar- ended questions that invite multiple
perspectives about a reading.
ently, quiet students can gain from their men-
tal, unspoken participation in class. Students Occasionally,plan five to ten minutes to
write individual responses to each other's
who do not feel comfortable, for whatever questions.
reason, in speaking out to the group at large
Allow time and demand that everyone ex-
need other opportunities to express their re-
plain their responses with reference to the
actions, their musings, their puzzlement. text under discussion.
What I found from talking with these
Give students a chance to rehearse their
students raises questions about the wisdom thinking by talking with a congenial
of teachers' awarding points or arranging partner.
other kinds of reward for out-loud com-
Know that discussion does take time and
ments during class discussion, suggesting talk explicitly about the problem with stu-
thereby that spoken contributions alone are dents so no one unconsciously and unnec-
valued. Creative and critical thinking can be essarily forces closure.
English Journal
 Allow "run-overs" by continuing the dis- Dillon, J. T.1994.Using Discussion in Classrooms.
cussion of an issue from one class to the Philadelphia: Open University Press.
next. Eeds, M. and D. Wells. 1989."Grand Conversa-
Plan a series of opportunities for students tions: An Exploration of Meaning Construc-
tion in Literature Study Groups." Research
to write about their developing thinking.
in the Teaching of English 23:4-29.
Teachers who believe in the value of Goetz, J. I? and M. D. LeCompte. 1984.Ethnog-
discussion must find ways to encourage all raphy and Qualitative Design in Educational
students to reflect on issues and delibera- Research. Austin, TX: Academic Press, Inc.
Marshall, J. D., I? Smagorinsky, and M. W
tively explore multiple perspectives. Even Smith. 1995.The Language of Interpretation:
when their voices are silent, discussion gives Patterns of Discourse in Discussions of Litera-
all students-quiet and talkative alike- ture. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teach-
opportunities to form their thinking and ers of English.
stretch their understanding. Mehan, H. 1979.Learning Lessons: Social Organi-
zation in the Classroom. Cambridge, MA:
Works Cited Harvard University Press.
Alvermann, D. E., D. G. O'Brien, and D. R. Dil- Townsend, J. S. 1991.A Study of Wondering Dis-
lon. 1990."What Teachers Do When They course in Three Literature Class Discussions.
Say They're Having Discussions Following Dissertation, The University of Texas at
Content Reading Assignments: A Qualita- Austin.
tive Analysis." Reading Research Quarterly Jane S. Townsend teaches at the University of Florida
25.4:
296-322. in Gainesville.
Cazden, C. B. 1988.Classroom Discourse: The
Language of Teaching and Learning. Ports-
mouth, N H : Heinemann.

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80 February 1998
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Silent Voices: What Happens to Quiet Students during Classroom Discussions?
Jane S. Townsend
The English Journal, Vol. 87, No. 2. (Feb., 1998), pp. 72-80.
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Works Cited

What Teachers Do When They Say They're Having Discussions of Content Area Reading
Assignments: A Qualitative Analysis
Donna E. Alvermann; David G. O'Brien; Deborah R. Dillon
Reading Research Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 4, 25th Anniversary Issue. (Autumn, 1990), pp. 296-322.
Stable URL:
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0034-0553%28199023%2925%3A4%3C296%3AWTDWTS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X