LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 21:4 April 2021
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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Interplay of Teacher Talk and Student Talk Inside an EFL Classroom

Ammar Anas, M.A. ELT, CELTA and Mariuam Jamal, M.A. English Literature

Abstract

EFL learning situates in a learning environment of an EFL classroom. Whenever EFL learners and EFL teachers work in a classroom environment, they practice input-output processing of target a language. Their mutual engagement and exchange lead students to involve in a communicative act that resembles communication in a real-life situation. This research paper assesses Classroom Talk (CT) and how it is connected with Teacher Talking Time (TTT) and Student Talking Time (STT). Observation, transcribing, and survey have been used as the research tools to collect the data. This research paper transcribes 4 listening-and- speaking classes of two groups of the students, surveys 7 EFL teachers and incorporates the researchers’ own observation to investigate the interplay between students' talk and teacher's talk and evaluates classroom talk as a supportive tool (scaffold) to improve teaching and learning process in a foreign language classroom. The paper finds that classroom talk is a significant input to evaluate the classroom learning environment. How much language output students produce, what level of language proficiency they exhibit and how much it represents CLT features suggest pedagogical implication for scaffolding EFL learning in the classroom.

Keywords: teacher and student talk, types of student talk, communicative classroom talk, speaking environment of the classroom.

Introduction

TT and ST significantly contribute to the process of second language acquisition by creating an environment of English language use in a foreign language classroom where learners go through the language performance phase by producing target language in response to TT or independently. Classroom talk in the form of TT & ST is instrumental in an EFL setting where exposure to the use of the target language is limited (Forman, 2012). Students mainly get significant time to practice language only inside the classroom in communication between the teacher and students.

According to Zhang (2008), the quality of student learning is closely linked with the quality of classroom discourse and a teacher should motivate students to generate their questions and answers and to participate more and more in authentic speaking tasks. Therefore, it is important for EFL teachers to be aware of the role of TT and ST so they can fully utilize TT and ST as effective input and output and can support accordingly students’ language learning in a real-life situation.

Nunan (1987) and Thornbury (1996) transcribed some language classes and analyzed features of TT into communicative and uncommunicative. Richard Cullen (1998) has questioned this classification as not considering typical classroom context and fulfillment of pedagogical purposes and suggested some other categories to analyze TT. This paper investigates students’ contribution that is the immediate reason for modification in TT and works as a context setter in the classroom. ST is a scientific reality deeply rooted in the classroom talk which determines the amount and quality of TT, communicativeness of the classroom and fulfillment of pedagogical purpose.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Ammar Anas, M.A. ELT, CELTA
Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences
University of Bisha, Al-Namas, Saudi Arabia
ammardas@gmail.com

Mariuam Jamal, M.A. English Literature
English Language Center The University Center for Girls' Studies Al-Samer
King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
mariuamkku@gmail.com
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