(Kyushu Sangyo University, Japan)(2) Dat Bao
(Monash University)(3) Seiko Harumi
(University of London, United Kingdom)*corresponding author
AbstractThis 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 includes appraisal confusion and recursive feedback loops, the research explores 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. KeywordsSilence; Emotion; EFL; Teacher; Japan; Appraisal; Teacher-Student; Relationship
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DOIhttps://doi.org/10.31763/jsse.v4i2.115 |
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