The goal of this small-scale qualitative study was to investigate the reasons and factors that may demotivate a group of university EFL students from participating in class, in the context of a school of language in the central part of the state of Veracruz in Mexico. While previous studies conducted, in this same setting, have focused on factors that affect classroom participation in general, this study involved interviews and observations to gain a comprehensive overview of the demotivating factors that impact these EFL students' participation levels in terms of oral production. The study focuses on the participation habits of the interviewed students, their perceptions of the factors that may inhibit them, that discourage them from participating fully in class, and that affect learning. The findings suggest that the participants' perceptions of what participation means, and their self-esteem and confidence affect their level of involvement. They also indicate that the teacher's role is an important variable in why students decide to remain silent.