<b>Students’ Silence – Redefining What It Means to Participate in EFL Classrooms</b>

Educators place a high value on the interaction between students and teachers. The amount of verbal interaction in the classroom is often highly valued, while silence is viewed as evidence of inactivity. In spite of the growing attention given to silence in the classroom by educators and scholars, little research has been conducted on how Vietnamese students respond to silence. This study surveyed 132 engineering students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology to explore the reasons behind low levels of oral participation. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of students' towards classroom silence and suggest several implications for improving students’ participation. Preliminary findings suggest that students commonly use silence to gain more thinking time and avoid embarrassment. These insights could inform strategies to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.