Participation Level in Different Seating Zones and Experiences with Row-and-column Arrangement in EFL Speaking Class

The influence of seating factors, an aspect of classroom management, on student participation and learning experiences has long been a topic of research interest in EFL contexts. This quantitative study examines the students’ seating preference, the potential influence of seating zones (front, middle, back) on classroom participation level in EFL presentation classes, and the students’ overall experiences with the row-and-column seating arrangement. Forty-one second-degree English lan-guage students at the English Department, Hanoi University, reported their seating preference, reasons for their choice, perceived in-class participation level, and learning experiences (classroom interaction, comfort, and concentration). The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Half of the participants preferred the middle rows, possibly because this zone enabled them to engage in learning without the pressure of being in close proximity to the instructor. The participants had an inclination to sit in their habitual seat or near a friend. The ANOVA results suggest no statistically significant difference in the participants’ per-ceived participation as a function of their seating zone. Notably, the row layout facilitated instruc-tor-student interaction yet posed difficulty for the students to maintain quality communication with their peers, which hinders learning in a class characterized by groupwork. From an educational standpoint, these findings call for careful consideration of which seating arrangement to be em-ployed in EFL speaking classes of different natures.