scholarly journals An investigation into the classroom talk of Iranian EFL novice vs. experienced teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-125
Author(s):  
Amir Ghajarieh ◽  
Nastaran Jalali ◽  
Mohammad Amin Mozaheb

This study investigates the classroom talk of Iranian EFL novice versus experienced teachers with emphasis on the quality of communicative features through a linguistic lens provided by the SETT (Self-Evaluation of Teacher Talk) framework and TTFS (Teacher Talk Functional Scale) checklist. In so doing, 10 intermediate-level classrooms running by five novice and five experienced teachers were observed, each case twice. Eight distinctive communicative features of TT emerged upon the initial analysis of database obtained from the audio-recordings of 20 class sessions, totaling 30 hours of naturally generated input. Subsequently, the audio-recorded materials were carefully transcribed and analyzed in correspondence with the observation data in an attempt to compare how novice and experienced teachers present their talk. The results indicated both novice and experienced teachers enact communicative aspects of classroom talk; however, the quality of presentation in the case of the experienced group was far better. This in turn highlights the importance of raising awareness regarding TT features in teacher training courses. New communicative aspects of teacher talk highlighted in this study, including the use of L1 and language gradation, would help define new research paths exploring the classroom discourse. Further research inspired by this study needs to explore other aspects of teacher-student interactions in various educational settings. Keywords: classroom talk, teacher talk, discourse, novice teachers, teacher education   

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Nightingale ◽  
Pilar Safont

As academic language skills develop, young learners are able to rise to the challenge of increasingly complex communication in increasingly formal settings (Snow, 2014; Uccelli et al., 2015). Studies suggest that CLIL contexts may favour the development of academic language skills (Dalton-Puffer, 2007; Nikula, 2007; Marsh, 2008; Pasqual Peña, 2010) to a greater extent than non-CLIL contexts. However, research that attempts to test this assumption has so far tended to do so from a pragmalinguistic perspective (Lorenzo & Rodríguez, 2014; Lorenzo, 2017). This paper takes a sociopragmatic approach to exploring the differences between CLIL and non-CLIL contexts regarding how they facilitate the development of early academic language skills. That is, how the communicative intentions that underlie CLIL and non-CLIL classroom discourse may help or hinder the development of such skills. The data were collected by observing classroom discourse in CLIL and EFL primary-school lessons, in Spanish-based and Catalan-based linguistic models. The method followed was to apply a taxonomy of the sociopragmatic level of academic language (Henrichs, 2010) to determine the quality of the conversational style and intersubjective cooperation found in the discourse. The results indicate that CLIL classroom discourse is characterised by the sort of conversational style that facilitates the development of academic language skills. However, in terms of intersubjective cooperation the results are somewhat inconclusive. Based on these results, the study suggests raising awareness of the role of conversational style in classroom discourse so as to boost the quality of teacher-student interactions in primary-school CLIL contexts and, thus, contribute to an identified need for continuous improvement of CLIL pedagogies and teacher training (Lorenzo, 2007; de Graaff et al., 2007).


2019 ◽  
pp. 146879841987059
Author(s):  
Ève Ryan ◽  
Alison L Bailey ◽  
Yiching H Grace

This study points to ways in which the amount and complexity of teacher talk in two preschool classrooms during transitions between activities differed from instructional activity settings throughout the day. What emerged were language characteristics that suggest not all transitions are created equal. In fact, as shown by qualitative excerpts of teacher–student interactions, some transitions are quite substantive and provide opportunities for rich extended conversations. The findings of this study suggest that, despite the popular perception of transitions as lost instructional time, the informal setting of transitions can be used to reinforce concepts taught in more formal instructional settings such as circle time, as well as opportunities to introduce new concepts and vocabulary following children’s lead. Interviews with the teachers of these two classrooms, while revealing their acknowledgment of some challenges (e.g. children’s engagement), mostly emphasized the intentional and potentially instructional nature of transitions.


2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connie Mayer ◽  
C. Tane Akamatsu ◽  
David Stewart

The data presented in this study come from the first year of a 4-year research project which has been undertaken to develop a model to describe exemplary communicative practice in the education of students who are deaf. Based on extensive videotaping of teacher-student interactions across a range of ages and subject areas, with participants using a variety of signed communication forms, the nature of this signed classroom discourse is considered with respect to: (a) how it mediates the activity of teaching and learning, and (b) how it encompasses more than the linguistic quality of the signed communication. Dialogic inquiry is proposed as a framework for conceptualizing a model of effective pedagogical practice in the education of learners who are deaf.


ELT Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-427
Author(s):  
Kari Sahan

Abstract At many universities, English serves as a lingua franca (ELF) between teachers and students for whom English is not their L1. Despite the spread of English-medium instruction (EMI), empirical research on the nature of teacher–student interactions in EMI classrooms remains limited. This study examines the use of ELF in EMI engineering classes at a university in Turkey to explore how teachers and students use code-switching as a communicative strategy in classroom interactions. Data were collected and analysed using a qualitative approach. Nearly 14 hours of classroom observation data were collected from three lecturers and analysed according to patterns of classroom interaction and language use. The findings suggest that teachers and students prioritize communicative efficiency over an adherence to monolingual, NS norms in classroom interactions. Pedagogical implications are discussed for ELT specialists tasked with preparing students for academic study in English and supporting content lecturers in EMI settings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (47-48) ◽  
pp. 36077-36089
Author(s):  
Francesco Panico ◽  
Gennaro Cordasco ◽  
Carl Vogel ◽  
Luigi Trojano ◽  
Anna Esposito

AbstractAssistive Ambient Living (AAL) in ageing refers to any device used to support ageing related psychological and physical changes aimed at improving seniors’ quality of life and reducing caregivers’ burdens. The diffusion of these devices opens the ethical issues related to their use in the human personal space. This is particularly relevant when AAL technologies are devoted to the ageing population that exhibits special bio-psycho-social aspects and needs. In spite of this, relatively little research has focused on ethical issues that emerge from AAL technologies. The present article addresses ethical issues emerging when AAL technologies are implemented for assisting the elderly population and is aimed at raising awareness of these aspects among healthcare providers. The overall conclusion encourages a person-oriented approach when designing healthcare facilities. This process must be fulfilled in compliance with the general principles of ethics and individual nature of the person devoted to. This perspective will develop new research paradigms, paving the way for fulfilling essential ethical principles in the development of future generations of personalized AAL devices to support ageing people living independently at their home.


Author(s):  
John Lando Carter ◽  
Joshua Charles Tipton

Building classroom relationships that last is no singular act bound to the opening weeks of the academic year. The seeds of strong teacher-student relationships must be nurtured and cultivated over time and in the right environment, one designed for belonging and learning for all. The quality of teacher-student interactions and relationships undoubtedly influences academic achievement and the educational experience of students. Teaching and learning environments that are conducive to the development of caring teacher-student interactions is vital to student well-being. Students that feel a genuine sense of belonging are apt to stay active, take risks, and flourish, and cultivating these behaviors in middle school classrooms is paramount to students' future success. Classrooms built for belonging operate on three key elements: moving beyond icebreakers, inviting students to serve as co-designers of learning experiences, and implementing gradebooks with grace.


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