The Classroom interactions

English MethodologyJenny Flores

Discourse Analysis and Classroom Interaction

Discourse analysis is used to provide a linguistic description of the interaction which goes on in EFL classrooms.

Theoretical Framework of the Study

It was used for many reasons:- Using authentic and naturally-occurring

data as a source- It establishes in the process new

insights into the sequencing of patterns of interaction.

Objective and research questions

What are the predominant patterns of classroom interaction between teachers and students in EFL classrooms?

Are the interactions teacher-dominated or student –dominated?

How are such patterns affected by genders?

Methods

The Participants

The classes were single-gender, boys being taught by male teachers and girls by female ones.

Data Collection

The classes were observed and audio-taped using a MP3 player.

The data collector was present in the classroom as a non-participant observer.

Each class period involved:

Covering homework material Teaching grammatical points, a reading

passage, vocabulary items or a conversation

Listening to a text either as a whole-class activity or as a pair work

Data Analysis Procedure

- In the teacher talk were such utterances as ‘you’, ‘yes?’

- Some categories were too general to depict subtle distinctions in the patterns of classroom interaction between teachers and students

- During the analyzing the interaction between the teachers and the students some utterances were run into which were not analyzable using the framework proposed

RESULTS A large number of discourse acts were

present in Teacher-Student Talk. Some discourse acts have been added

to Student-Teacher Talk. The interaction between the students

reflected the use of variety of discourse acts.

The results of the Effect of Gender of the Teachers and the Students on their Interaction Patterns

There was not much difference between male and female teachers regarding their patterns of interaction with their students.

There is difference in ‘Criticism’ because it was present in female teachers’ talk and absent in male teachers’ talk.

Both male and female students made use of the same discourse acts in their interaction with their teachers.

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, AND IMPLICATION

The interaction patterns between the participants in all three types of talk showed variation.

These interactions sharing some commonalities with the interaction taking place in natural contexts occurring outside the classroom

The teachers sould take up the major portion of all talk occurring in the classroom

There is not much difference between male and female teachers.

Female teachers were more supportive and encouraging, providing the students with a positive evaluation more often than male teachers.