This investigation was motivated by frustration that language teachers report over some students' failure to participate in class. Research (Delaney, 2012) suggests that students' level of involvement often does not reach teachers' expectations. Grounded in previous work that emphasizes the importance of understanding the student voice, this study reports the views of 439 university language students about class participation. Though many claimed to participate in their various language classes, their questionnaire responses provided numerous reasons to explain moments when they do not: language learning anxiety, lack of second language (L2) understanding, feelings of inferiority as language learners,, and prohibition of the use of the first language (L1). Their responses also offered teachers thoughtful suggestions to encourage students to participate more in class. This investigation points to several pedagogical implications, notably the necessity of teachers explicitly addressing issues of class participation with their own students.