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Teachers’ Initiations in Maximizing English Classroom Interaction

Received: 10 October 2022     Accepted: 29 October 2022     Published: 10 November 2022
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Abstract

This paper focuses on the teachers’ initiation in English classroom interaction based on Sinclair and Coulthard Model. The study focused on identifying initiations used by English language teachers in promoting interaction in the classroom, and to analyse the challenges that English language teachers face in maximizing classroom interaction. The data were collected from three public secondary schools in Nyamagana Municipality in Mwanza region - Tanzania. This study used mixed method approach where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied. To obtain relevant information, interviews, questionnaires and classroom observations were used. The data were analysed based on Sinclair and Coulthard theory of 1975. The findings indicate that all teachers’ initiations were applied where ‘teacher inform’ was the dominant one followed by directing, checking, repeating, listing and eliciting. However, eliciting was rarely used by English language teachers. The results further show that English language teachers in Tanzania face challenges related to learning conditions, learner-related factors, societal factors and other challenges as far as classroom interaction is concerned. It is recommended that teachers should elicit the language from learners to enable them to produce natural answers in order to maximize interactions in English language classrooms. It is concluded that, if the teachers’ intention is to maximize classroom interaction, the use of elicitation technique is more appropriate.

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 10, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.20221006.11
Page(s) 311-320
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Teacher’s Initiation, Classroom Interaction, Sinclair and Coulthard, Maximizing Interaction and Opening Move

References
[1] Brown, H. D. (2000). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (2nd ed.). California: Pearson education.
[2] Cockayne, M. (2010). Applying the Sinclair and Coulthard Model of Discourse analysis to a student-centred EFL Classroom. Centre for English Language Studies, Postgraduate Programmes, Open Distance Learning.
[3] Dailey, A. (2010). An Analysis of Classroom Discourse: The Usefulness of Sinclair and Coulthard's Rank Scale in a Language Classroom.
[4] Ginting, A. S. (2017). The Importance of Opening Moves in Classroom Interaction. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, Vol. 8 (6), pp. 7-11.
[5] Hellermann, J. (2003) The Interactive Work of Prosody in the IRF exchange: Teacher repetition in Feedback Moves. Language in Society, 32 (01), 79-104. DOI: 10.1017/S0047404503321049. Portland State University.
[6] Hall, J. & Lorrie, S. (2000). Second and Foreign Language Learning through Classroom Interaction. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associaties, Inc.
[7] Johnson, E. K. (1995). Understanding Communication in Second Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[8] Lantolf, J. P. & Thorne S. L. (2006). Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[9] Lap, T. Q. & Thy H. V. U. (2017). EFL Teachers’ Challenges in Maximising Classroom Interactiuon. Studies in English Language Teaching, Vol. 5 (4), pp. 695-709.
[10] Murtiningrum, S. (2009). Classroom Interaction in English Learning. [Unpublished M. A Dissertation]. Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta.
[11] Noviana, A. & Ardi, P. (2015). Challenges in Implementing Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) Sequence in EAP class. Journal of Education and Technology, 1 (3), 76-91.
[12] Nurhamidah, F. E. et al. (2018). Code-Switching in EFL Classroom: Is It Good or Bad? Journal of English Education, 3 (2), pp. 78-88.
[13] Rogoff, B. (2003). The Cultural Nature of Human Development. New York: Oxford University Press.
[14] Sa, E. (2007). Language Policy for Education and Development in Tanzania. Philadelphia: Swarthmore College.
[15] Sinclair, J. M. & Coulthard, B. M. (1992). Towards an Analysis of Discourse. In Coulhard, M. (Ed) 1992. Advances in Spoken Discourse Analysis. pp. 1-34. London: Routledge.
[16] Sinclair, J. & Coulthard, R. M. (1975). Towards an Analysis of Discourse. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[17] Sitompul, N. (2018). Teacher's Initiation in English Classroom Interaction Based on Sinclair and Coulhard Model. An Article Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan.
[18] Swain, M. (1995). Three functions of output in second language learning. In G. Cook, & B. Seidlhofer (Eds.). Principle and practice in applied linguistics: Studies in honour of H. G. Widdowson. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 125-144.
[19] Tsui, A. B. M. (1995). Introducing Classroom Interaction. London: Penguin.
[20] Tsui, A. B. M. (2001). Classroom Interaction. In R. Carter & D. Nunan. The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[21] United Republic of Tanzania, (1995). Education and Training Policy. Dar es Salaam: Ministry of Education and Culture.
[22] United Republic of Tanzania, (2021). National Basic Statistics in Tanzania. Dar es Salaam: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
[23] Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
[24] Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). Thinking and Speech. In R. W. Rieber, & A. S. Carton (Eds.), The Collected Works of L. S. Vygotsky (Vol. 1), Problems of General Psychology. New York: Plenum Press. pp. 39-285. (Original Work Published 1934).
[25] Walsh, S. (2006). Investigating Classroom Discourse. London: Routledge. 5.
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  • APA Style

    Aisha Stambul, Eustard Rutalemwa Tibategeza. (2022). Teachers’ Initiations in Maximizing English Classroom Interaction. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 10(6), 311-320. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221006.11

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    ACS Style

    Aisha Stambul; Eustard Rutalemwa Tibategeza. Teachers’ Initiations in Maximizing English Classroom Interaction. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2022, 10(6), 311-320. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221006.11

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    AMA Style

    Aisha Stambul, Eustard Rutalemwa Tibategeza. Teachers’ Initiations in Maximizing English Classroom Interaction. Int J Lang Linguist. 2022;10(6):311-320. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221006.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.20221006.11,
      author = {Aisha Stambul and Eustard Rutalemwa Tibategeza},
      title = {Teachers’ Initiations in Maximizing English Classroom Interaction},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {10},
      number = {6},
      pages = {311-320},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20221006.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221006.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20221006.11},
      abstract = {This paper focuses on the teachers’ initiation in English classroom interaction based on Sinclair and Coulthard Model. The study focused on identifying initiations used by English language teachers in promoting interaction in the classroom, and to analyse the challenges that English language teachers face in maximizing classroom interaction. The data were collected from three public secondary schools in Nyamagana Municipality in Mwanza region - Tanzania. This study used mixed method approach where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied. To obtain relevant information, interviews, questionnaires and classroom observations were used. The data were analysed based on Sinclair and Coulthard theory of 1975. The findings indicate that all teachers’ initiations were applied where ‘teacher inform’ was the dominant one followed by directing, checking, repeating, listing and eliciting. However, eliciting was rarely used by English language teachers. The results further show that English language teachers in Tanzania face challenges related to learning conditions, learner-related factors, societal factors and other challenges as far as classroom interaction is concerned. It is recommended that teachers should elicit the language from learners to enable them to produce natural answers in order to maximize interactions in English language classrooms. It is concluded that, if the teachers’ intention is to maximize classroom interaction, the use of elicitation technique is more appropriate.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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    AU  - Aisha Stambul
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    T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
    JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221006.11
    AB  - This paper focuses on the teachers’ initiation in English classroom interaction based on Sinclair and Coulthard Model. The study focused on identifying initiations used by English language teachers in promoting interaction in the classroom, and to analyse the challenges that English language teachers face in maximizing classroom interaction. The data were collected from three public secondary schools in Nyamagana Municipality in Mwanza region - Tanzania. This study used mixed method approach where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied. To obtain relevant information, interviews, questionnaires and classroom observations were used. The data were analysed based on Sinclair and Coulthard theory of 1975. The findings indicate that all teachers’ initiations were applied where ‘teacher inform’ was the dominant one followed by directing, checking, repeating, listing and eliciting. However, eliciting was rarely used by English language teachers. The results further show that English language teachers in Tanzania face challenges related to learning conditions, learner-related factors, societal factors and other challenges as far as classroom interaction is concerned. It is recommended that teachers should elicit the language from learners to enable them to produce natural answers in order to maximize interactions in English language classrooms. It is concluded that, if the teachers’ intention is to maximize classroom interaction, the use of elicitation technique is more appropriate.
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Author Information
  • Department of Languages and Linguistics, St Augustine University of Tanzania, Mwanza, Tanzania

  • Department of Languages and Linguistics, St Augustine University of Tanzania, Mwanza, Tanzania

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