Speaker
Description
This presentation reports findings from a recently published study examining the long-term emotional impact of student silence on a non-Japanese EFL teacher in Japan. Using event-based sampling, the study captured real-time emotional responses to silence in teacher–student interactions. Results show that prolonged and unresolved silence led to appraisal confusion, frustration, relational insecurity, and emotional exhaustion. The study argues that silence operates as a barometer of teacher–student relational strength in high-silence EFL contexts.
Short summary
This presentation reports findings from a recently published study examining the long-term emotional impact of student silence on a non-Japanese EFL teacher in Japan. Using event-based sampling, the study captured real-time emotional responses to silence in teacher–student interactions. Results show that prolonged and unresolved silence led to appraisal confusion, frustration, relational insecurity, and emotional exhaustion. The study argues that silence operates as a barometer of teacher–student relational strength in high-silence EFL contexts.
Keywords
silence
emotion
teacher
Japan
Abstract
This study investigates the long-term emotional impact of student silence on non-Japanese EFL teachers, focusing on one expatriate teacher in Japan (Elliott). Utilizing a model that incorporates appraisal confusion and recursive feedback loops, the research examines how teachers emotionally process silence in ambiguous relational contexts: event—based sampling documented real-time emotional responses to silence, revealing patterns in teacher-student interactions. Key findings indicate that (1) prolonged silence triggered hesitation, frustration, and relational insecurity; (2) the lack of verbal and nonverbal cues led to persistent appraisal confusion; and (3) unresolved silent incidents, compounded by breaches of trust, culminated in emotional exhaustion. Silence operated as a barometer of teacher-student relational strength—where mutual understanding failed, emotional strain intensified. These findings underscore the emotional labor involved in interpreting silence in high-silence EFL contexts such as Japan, where ambiguity often gives rise to perceptions of disengagement, leaving teachers vulnerable to sustained emotional fatigue.
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday |
|---|---|
| Title | Silence and degrees of appraisal confusion |