Rabat, May 19 -- It is widely believed that when students are encouraged to speak the foreign language in the classroom setting, either with their teachers or classmates, they find themselves participating in the "negotiation of meaning."

In other words, they are forced into clarifying their thoughts, intentions, and opinions by expressing them.

As a teacher, I have observed many students abstaining from active class participation. This phenomenon in EFL classrooms is widely recognized by teachers and practitioners. Opinions vary but many teachers agree that the reasons for this phenomenon are complex and multi-faceted.

It stands to reason that the solutions will need to be just as complex and many-layered to be successfully understood...