Many of them did not know how to say numbers above ten. Sentences of any kind were beyond most and vocabulary was limited to English loan-words used in Japanese. In writing they could do more, but even if they wrote down what they wanted to say, their fear of speaking was so great that they could not say anything. These students have learned in other classes how to behave and what to do in English class and they have learned their roles well. But I have changed the rules of the game and now they don't know what those rules are and have to learn everything from scratch again.
All students have a history.
They do not behave the way I want them to in my class because they have learned mainly by translation in reading and writing. My class is the first time many have had the opportunity to speak and when they hear themselves they seem ridiculous. He feels ridiculous because he is trying to be something that he feels deep down is impossible. On the other hand, some students may feel that the new identity is liberating. That the language frees them from their current socio-linguistic cage.