American instructors often expect students to exhibit active speaking behaviors such as questioning, discussing, explaining, providing personal viewpoints, etc.

• Sometimes a significant proportion of a student's grade is determined by his/her skill in this kind of oral participation.
• In other instances, students may be expected to gather in small groups that are not directly led by instructors and to participate in oral discussion.
• In both larger classroom discussions and within small groups, often two or three students may dominate discussion. These students may be skillful at voicing their thoughts, moving with changing conversational topics, and displaying wit.
• The speed with which the conversation moves may make it difficult for other students to enter the discussion. This dynamic and the fact that their own oral participation will be evaluated and graded can be discouraging to students who view their strengths as "quiet" and for students from cultures in which oral participation has not been stressed as a learning method.
• Students who experience social phobia or other medical conditions may find themselves unable to function in classes where seating is always in small group clusters or in situations where they must frequently speak and interact.
  
  

Ideas for students that may help with classroom discussions

• As you read in preparation for class, write down one or two questions that you have. Also write down two or three things you see as main ideas. These notes can provide you with a "script" of topics you can speak about in class.
• Communicate with your instructor alone, before or after class or during office hours. You may also communicate by note, e-mail or voice mail. Explain how you have difficulty entering discussions, particularly once they have started rapidly moving. Describe to your instructor several strategies you think might help you. Ask for his or her assistance. If you are uncomfortable about how to approach the discussion with your instructor, you might consider bringing this handout as something to share with him/her.
• One strategy is this: if the instructor is willing to provide time for questions and comments and to ask for raised hands rather than responding to called-out questions, then you might ask the instructor if he/she could deliberately call first on the more quiet members of class (such as you). In this way, you would have an opportunity to summarize your understanding of one or two key points, and ask if you have left out anything significant. Thus, you could demonstrate your involvement with the material and the class, prior to the discussion becoming too fast-paced.
• Another strategy is to ask the instructor if he/she would be willing to suggest that small discussion groups start by asking quiet members if they have any comments or questions. The instructor may also advise the small groups to give quiet members adequate time to verbally frame their responses, and suggest that the discussion periodically pause to allow more quiet members to enter the conversation.
• If you have always found it very difficult to speak in groups and the idea of speaking makes you feel very worried and/or physically uncomfortable, you may have social anxiety. If described to and diagnosed by a doctor, this condition may entitle you to classroom accommodation. In this case, visit Disability Services to arrange accommodation.
• Go to Disability Services to receive accommodation for physical, emotional, learning disabilities. The Counseling Center can help you develop strategies for reducing your anxiety about speaking in class.

The NSCC Counseling Center helps students identify careers, pick programs of study, strengthen study skills, manage time and stress, deal with depression, confront prejudice and learn other student success skills. To make an appointment, stop by our offices. Please visit our website for Emotional /Academic Self-Help on dozens of topics.