Breaking the silence: exploring the challenges of oral participation faced by Chinese undergraduate students in a Sino-US university in China

Purpose - This study aimed to explore the underlying reasons for student silence in EMI classrooms and identify the coping strategies employed by students and teachers. Design/methodology/approach - Employing qualitative case study methods, in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with both teachers and students. Thematic analysis was used for the findings. Findings - Thematic analysis of the data revealed four primary reasons for student silence, and several effective coping strategies used by students and teachers to mitigate this challenge. Research limitations/implications - The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of silence among Chinese undergraduate students in English as a medium of instruction classrooms and offer valuable insights to students and teachers to adapt and succeed in these challenging environments. Originality/value - The originality of this study lies in the fact that this is among the few studies conducted on students from a foreign branch campus of an American university in China that explores the explores the phenomenon of silence of Chinese students in such universities.