Active classroom participation is important in promoting affective learning (Kember & Gow, 1994; Billson, 1986; Raw & Heyl, 1990). Through active engagement in classroom, students learn to think critically and enhance their intellectual development. This study focuses on classroom participation of international students (adults and young adults from abroad who study in Malaysian private educational institutions). It investigates factors that encourage or discourage participation using observations and interviews. Students were asked to respond to questions on the lecturer traits that shape their participation and other factors that encouraged or discouraged their classroom participation. The results strongly endorse that lecturers play a great role in promoting student participation. The factors that are most effective in promoting international students’ participation and their patterns of participation in class are also discussed. Suggestions are offered to lecturers in formulating future teaching strategies for international students.