The purpose of this essay was to find the reasons why some students do not dare to participate verbally in the classroom. I also wanted to know how teachers are working to make it easier or students with communication apprehension. After that I put the teacher’s answers in contrast to the theory. I used qualitative interviews as the method. I interviewed seven school teachers in two different schools in Stockholm.

The conclusion is that students do not dare participate verbally in the classroom because of: shyness, low confidence in their own way of communicate, are worried to answer wrong in front of the teacher and the class, low self-confidence, negative class climate and to large classes. Students are also worried about being graded. These causes were also confirmed in the theory. Differences were: all teachers did not think they teach students with communication apprehension, but the theory argues that it is 20 percent in a class. Some teachers used to ask question direct to students, but the theory says that it can increase communication apprehension. The teachers also meant that it is their function to help students with communication apprehension, but the theory says that some students needs more help than they can get in a regular classroom.