Silence, Pausing, and the Organization of Turn-Taking in Libyan University Classrooms: A Descriptive Study of Oral Academic Interaction

Abstract

This descriptive study examines patterns of silence, pausing and turn allocation in spoken academic interaction within Libyan university classrooms. While spoken interaction has received growing attention in applied linguistics, empirical descriptions of interactional practices in North African higher education remain limited. Drawing on naturally occurring classroom discourse, the study focuses on how silence and pauses function within lecturer–student exchanges and how speaking turns are initiated, sustained and negotiated during academic interaction. Rather than treating silence as a communicative breakdown, the analysis approaches it as a meaningful interactional resource shaped by institutional roles, pedagogical norms and sociocultural expectations. The findings provide a context-sensitive account of spoken academic interaction in Libyan universities and contribute descriptive evidence to broader discussions on classroom discourse, participation and interactional organization in EFL higher education settings .