The goal of this qualitative study was to discover the nature of the factors that may demotivate university EFL students from participating in class. While previous studies conducted have focused on factors that affect classroom participation in general, this study involved in-depth interviews and observations in order to gain a comprehensive overview of the demotivating factors that impact EFL student participation levels. The study focuses on the participants’ participation habits and their perceptions of the factors that may inhibit it, that discourage learners from participating fully in class, and that effect learning negatively. The findings suggest that students’ perceptions of participation and their self-esteem and confidence affect their level of participation. They also indicate that the teacher’s role is an important variable in why students decide to remain silent.