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TRNG MINH HA

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Classrooms as social contexts

What is a social context?The immediate physical setting in which people were raised,

including: the culture/language they were raised in & the

groups they interact with.

The social context of classrooms:A function of how

students with various characteristics are distributed through

interaction patterns.

Classroomsare deeply and fundamentally social contexts

concerning studentsrelationship with each other as well as

the activities they jointly undertake.

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Contextsare constructedthrough the talkininteraction

in relation to specific institutional goals and the pedagogicgoalsof a lesson.

An ability to understanding interactional processes in

classrooms is crucialto facilitating learning opportunity and

to preventing learners from becoming lost in the discourse.

Classrooms as social contexts

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Negotiated interaction: Conversational exchanges

arising when participants try to accommodate potentialor actual problems of understanding, using strategies

[comprehension checks or clarification checks].

Second language acquisition:The process by which

people learn a second language.

Classroom interaction & Second language acquisition

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Van Lier (1988) distinguishes four basic types ofclassroom interaction:

[1] The teacher has no control over the topic & the activity;

[2] The teacher controls the topic but not the activity;

[3] The teacher controls the topic and the activity;

[4] The teacher controls the activity but not the topic.

He also distinguishes three types of interaction function:[1] ideational(telling people facts or experiences);

[2] interpersonal(working on relationships with people);

[3] textual (signaling connections and boundaries, clarifying,

summarizing, and revising).

Classroom interaction & Second language acquisition

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Maximizinginteraction should be regarded as less

importantthan optimizingit = Promoting appropriate

interaction based upon desired learning outcomes.

Quality interaction:

[1]Teachers manage & sustain via careful managementof

the turntaking sequencesoccurring in face to face

communication.

[2] Studentsclearly have a significant role to play & need

to gain a comprehensive understandingof the interactive

processes.

Classroom interaction & Second language acquisition

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In the formal context, learners interact in many differentways: [1]with each others; [2] with the teacher; [3] with the

materials being used; [4] with their own thought processes.

Through interacting with others, learners are obliged to

modify their speech in order to ensure that understanding

takes place.

By asking for clarification & confirming comprehension

[key features of interaction],language acquisition occurs.

InteractionfacilitatesSecond language Acquisition

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Negotiationthrough Interaction enables learners:

[1] to provide each other comprehensible input;

[2] to give and gain feedback on contributions;

[3] to modify and restructure utterances.

Meaningsare made clear.

Negotiationmust be regarded as an important

component of the learning experience, and cannot be

interpreted as repair of imperfect/ failed communication.

InteractionfacilitatesSecond language Acquisition

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InteractionfacilitatesSecond language Acquisition

Centrality

of

Classroom

Interaction

Making

input

comprehensible

Enhancing

learner

attention

Encouraging

learner

output

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Comprehensible input & Negotiation of meaning do not

ensure second language acquisition (SLA)Learners

must have opportunities to speak.

Comprehensible output in the form of practice

opportunitiesat least as important as comprehensible

input.

Outputenhances fluency& promotes noticing function

by allowing learners to identify gaps between what they

want to say and what they are able to say.

Interaction increasesOpportunities for Practice

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By giving learners controlof the topic > activity

increasing opportunities for both practice and acquisition.

Through interaction & negotiation of meaning, learners

pay attentionnot only to the formof an utterance, but also

to its functionand degree of appropriacy at a given point in

an exchange.

Interaction increasesOpportunities for Practice

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Quality interaction affords learners time:

[1] To reflect on their output;

[2] To identify gaps in their linguistic knowledge;

[3] To notice features of new language in relation to whathas been acquired already.

Through reflection& learning how to navigate the

discourseLearners have potential to become more

strategic& consequently enhance opportunitiesfor

language acquisition.

InteractionpromotesReflection

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The use of direct repair and corrective feedback

Examples of the ways in which teachers can help learners

monitor, reflect on and self

correct their contributions.

By drawing attention to one learners output

A teacher can facilitate reflective practices among the

other learners in the group, enabling a focus on form while

still maintaining communicative interaction.

InteractionpromotesReflection