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Become a Better Facilitator: Investigate Your Teacher Talk. Amy McCarthy SFSU M.A. TESOL Conference December 2 , 2011. Do Your Classroom Discussions Ever Look Like This?. Would You Prefer Them to Look Like This?. Introduction: Project and Motivation. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Become a Better Facilitator: Investigate
Your Teacher Talk
Amy McCarthySFSU M.A. TESOL Conference
December 2, 2011
Do Your Classroom Discussions Ever Look Like This?
Would You Prefer Them to Look Like This?
Introduction: Project and Motivation Low-intermediate non-credit class at
Canal Alliance Wanted to expand learner participation
More learners involved Responses to each other
Investigated my teacher talk during class discussions Audiotaped & transcribed
Presentation Overview
Background My Project Findings Future Directions Implications/Suggestions Practical Tips
Background: What is Value of Teacher Talk in Discussion? Sociocultural Perspective: Learning as social
& collaborative (Antón, 1999; Foster & Ohta, 2005) Teacher-learner interaction is model (Antón, 1999; Lee & Ng, 2010) Scaffolding; e.g., vocabulary (Ko et al., 2003) Building of classroom rapport (Byrne, 1987; Nyugen, 2007)
Teacher-fronted and learner-centered not mutually exclusive (Antón, 1999; Jacknick, 2009)
Background: What Kind of Teacher Talk?
Teacher in role of facilitator Facilitative talk: How do we define?
Harder to define because less formulaic (Clifton, 2006)
Background: How to Study Teacher Talk?
Varied Approaches Focus on specific features; e.g., questions Use of quantitative ratios (Reinders et al. 2003; Wei,
2008) Conversation Analysis: Qualitative -- teacher
talk as part of jointly-constructed interaction Context specific
Teacher investigation (Thornbury, 1996; Walsh, 2003) Recording of interaction:
“mirror-like ‘objective’ view of what goes on in class”
(Schratz, 1992 as cited in Richards & Lockhart, 1994)
My Project: Context Low intermediate non-credited
integrated skills class at
Open enrollment: 14-20 Ss per night From Latin America: Mexico, Guatemala, & El Salvador
Whole-class pre-reading discussions: activating prior knowledge, predicting
My Project: Research Questions What are existing patterns in teacher
talk during class discussions? How does my teacher talk affect learner
participation? What happens if I modify teacher talk? Intentionally broad
“One can discover no more .. than one’s method of inquiry permits” (Heap, 1982, as cited in Lee, 2007)
My Project: Action Research Approach
“Self-reflective, critical, and systematic approach to your own teaching context”
(Burns, 2010)
Reflective Intervention: From thinking to doing
Three Cycles: 12 weeks Action and Observation
Audiotaped & transcribed interaction Reflection
Analyzed data & identified patterns Kept Reflective Teaching Journal Identified modifications to teacher talk
Further Action and Observation Gradually introduced modifications in talk Audiotaped & transcribed again
My Project: Action Research Process
My Project: Method of Analysis Initial quantitative analysis Tally of features
e.g., clarification requests
Little insight into how teacher talk affectedparticipation
My Project: Method of Analysis Switched to primarily qualitative
analysis
Insights from Conversation Analysis Intimidating: terminology &
transcription protocols Interaction as jointly constructed How does teacher talk create or block
participation? Turn-Taking Patterns: e.g., teacher-learner-
teacher Learner Initiation Contingency
Findings: Example – Turn-Taking Patterns
Please look at Excerpt 1 (blue handout) What do you notice about turn-taking
pattern? Does the teacher follow up after learner
turn?
Findings: Turn-Taking Patterns First Taping: somewhat rigid turn-taking
Learner turns bracketed by T turns T follow-up move somewhat automatic Minimal wait time after learner response
(Garton, 2002)
My teacher talk blocking participation
Findings: Turn-Taking Patterns Identified modifications to teacher talk
Conscious about allowing wait time after learner response: time for others to respond
Conscious about making my follow-up move optional
Second Taping: more flexible turn-taking Learners respond directly to each other More learners participating
Findings: Example – Learner Initiation & Contingency
Learner initiation Beyond direct response to my Q Building on topic or bringing up related sub-
topic (Adapted from Garton, 2002)
Contingency “quality of interaction where the design of
each turn is thoroughly dependent upon and reponsive to its prior turn” (Wong & Waring, 2010)
Please look at Excerpt 3 (blue handout)
Findings: Learner Initiation & Contingency
First Taping: Took up learner initiative about ½ the time Lack of contingency Following own agenda
My teacher talk not supporting participation
Findings: Learner Initiation & Contingency
Identified modifications to teacher talk Conscious about learner initiation Conscious about making my comments
contingent Keep in mind pedagogical goals: not too
tangential
Second Taping: More space for initiation and contingency Learner initiative taken up Not just T, other learners responding More learners participating
Future Directions
Focus on preparing students to participate Raising awareness Providing language and practice (Maeda, 2010; Sarosy & Sherak, 2002)
Continued focus on wait time after learner response
Follow Action Research approach again
Implications / Suggestions Biggest benefit: More awareness of
interaction patterns (Thornbury, 1996; Walsh, 2003, 2006)
Investigate your teacher talk: understand & modify practice to be better facilitator
Action Research: take reflective teaching to new level
Useful insights from Conversation Analysis
Gradual process: like learning language
Practical Tips Transcription very valuable, but be
strategic Saw patterns that weren’t obvious upon
listening Transcribe at least two discussion segments Time consuming: later on, listen only
Introduce changes in teacher talk gradually Allow time between tapings
Discuss with others Don’t be too hard on yourself!
Many Thanks! M.A. TESOL Professors & 891
Classmates
Advisors: Dr. Abeywickrama & Dr. Olsher
April Shandor
My wonderful students at Canal Alliance
My family
My cats, who sat by my computer while I worked on this project