The results of the study not only provide a reference for future research of high school English teaching practice, but have a positive influence on English learning of high school students。 This study can help those students who are always silent in English class find learning strategies consistent with them and overcome the silence so as to improve their learning efficiency and become active English learners eventually。

The whole paper will be pided into five parts。 The first part is the introduction, including the background of the study, the importance of breaking silence phenomenon and the value of the paper。 The second part is the overview of classroom silence。 It shows the literal definition of silence from different aspects and some previous researches on silence phenomenon。 The third part talks about the research design, including the research subjects, aims and methods。 Based on the results of the research in the third part, the fourth part analyzes the causes of silence phenomenon from different sides and proposes corresponding solutions。 Then the final part is the conclusion。论文网

II。 Overview of Classroom Silence

2。1 The Definition of Classroom Silence

According to the LONGMAN English dictionary, silence means failure or refusal to discuss something or answer questions about something。 While in Oxford dictionary, silence is equal to renunciation from speech or utterance, the omission of notice。 At the same time, silence has different definitions in different areas。 In linguistic circle, it is regarded as a way to demonstrate his feeling。 In sociology, it is known as a method of interaction and communication on some occasions。 For instance, one can not agree with some ideas or thinking in some situations and he prefers to using silence to avoid conflicts。 However, in the educational circle, silence refers to the lack of the communication between teachers and students in class。

Because the pedagogical practice is a process, silence phenomenon can also be defined as the non-verbal communication-behavior in class。 From a broad sense, class silence refers to all silence phenomenon during the interaction process between teachers and students; in a narrow sense, classroom silence refers to students make no response to teacher’s questions。

In addition, the silence phenomenon can be pided into two aspects, that is, the positive silence and negative silence。 Proper and positive silence can help students digest knowledge and form their thinking pattern while the negative one may impede students’ comprehensive development。 

2。2 The Previous Researches on Classroom Silence

Silence is a special act in communication, which is different from speech。 So it attracts researchers (Ellis, Krashen and Swain) both at home and abroad。 However, different people hold different opinions。 Many researchers study silence from pragmatic perspective or cultural perspective。 

According to second language acquisition, language input and language output are quite significant in students’ language learning。 Proper abundant language input   provides materials for language output。 Based on the theory of krashen’s Input hypothesis and swan’s Output hypothesis, language acquisition is a bilateral interaction process in which the input and output are closed related。 Students keep silent in class may connect with the deficiency of input or output。 

In recent years, the negative influence of classroom silence gradually draws people’s attention。 Therefore many experts do some researches and focus on reasons of silence and strategies for overcoming classroom silence。 Gao Gui ling points out that due to many students’ fear of losing face, they prefer to keeping silent in class, and at the same time, these students neither form an English thinking mode nor express their feelings in English, leading to a weak desire for speaking English (85)。