Scenario Response 1

This scenario seems like the brain based theory and more specifically the affective learning hypothesis. The student, given all the context, may not have felt comfortable in learning the new language and may have just been trying to adjust before trying to understand, especially if there is no support outside of the school setting. Once they felt comfortable enough or confident they began to open up and participate more. This is similar to something I have experienced in my classroom with a student who needed a Spanish-English dictionary to begin the school year and gradually became more comfortable and confident and was able to discuss the topics of our class freely by the end of the school year. 

A lot of students, even those that speak English as a first language, are in the "silent" phase as they learn and become more comfortable with the subject. I think it is just a natural progression of learning.