Turn-taking in EFL Classroom Discourse

Authors

  • Longfei Zhang North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/ret.v4i4.3812

Abstract

In this essay, there will be a contrast and comparison between the teacherdominant turn-taking patterns and students-centered turn-taking patterns. This comparison can help us to find out which pattern can help develop an effective turn-taking in classroom discourse. In terms of the turn-taking pattern in EFL classroom, there also will be a study of turn-taking patterns. This study is concentrated on the EFL students who study in foreign language classroom. Different turn-taking patterns will be recorded to analyze students’ language performance and language anxiety during the turns change process. Brown (2008) proposes that senior foreign language learners tend to be influenced by the low sense of confidence, the feel of shame and inferiority. However, evidence shows that many students with higher level of language proficiency also are silent in the foreign language classroom. They seldom take turns to make a contribution to the speech in the classroom. This essay shows great interests in the relationship between EFL learners’ language anxiety and turn-taking patterns. Particularly, this essay will explore the several turn-taking patterns which can help to foster the flow of classroom talk. These turn-taking patterns will be analyzed in two directions: the teacher-fronted turns exchange and students-centered exchange. This can help EFL teachers to adjust the turn-taking patterns to the classroom teaching to help students get more involvements in the classroom conversation.

Keywords:

Classroom teaching and learning; Turn-taking; Linguistic elements; EFL learners; Intercultural elements; Turn-raising signals; Turn-taking patterns

References

[1] Richards, K., & Seedhouse, P. (eds.) (2004). Applying Conversation Analysis. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

[2] Cook, G. (1989). Discourse. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[3] Sacks, H., E. A. Schegloff & G. Jefferson. 1974. ‘A Simplest Systematics for the

[4] Organization of Turn-Taking for Conversation’. Language. Journal of the Linguistic Society of America. 50.

[5] Ford, C.E. & Thompson, S. A. (1996) ’Interactional units in conversation: syntactic, intonational and pragmatic resources for the management of turns.’ In E. Ochs, E.A. Schegloff and S.A. Thompson (eds) Interaction and Grammar. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 134-184.

[6] Wiemann, J.M. &Kanpp, M. L. (1975). Turn-Taking in Conversations. Journal of Communication. Purdue University.

[7] Cutler, A. & M. Pearson. (1986). ‘On the Analysis of Prosodic Turn-Taking Cues’. In C. Johns-Lewis (Ed.): 139-155.

[8] Brown, L. (2008). ‘Language and Anxiety: An Ethnographic Study of International Postgraduate Students.’ Evaluation and Research in Education, 21(2), pp. 75-95.

[9] Burgoon, J. K. (1976). ‘The unwillingness-to communicate scale: Development and validation.’ Communication Monographs, 43, pp. 60–69.

[10] Zhang, H. (2011). Language anxiety in ESL classroom: analysis of turn-taking patterns in ESL classroom discourse. International Conference on Education, Research and Innovation, 18, pp. 29-33.

[11] McCroskey, J. C. (1997). Self-report measurement. In Daly, J. A., McCroskey, J.C., Ayres, J., Hopf, T., & Ayres, D. M. (Eds.), Avoiding communication: Shyness, reticence, and communication apprehension, Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, PP. 191-216.

[12] Burgoon, J. K., & Koper, R. J. (1984). Nonverbal and relational communication associated with reticence. Human Communication Research, 10, pp. 601–626.

[13] Burgoon, J. K., Pfau, M., Birk, T., & Manusov, V. (1987). Nonverbal communication performance and perceptions associated with reticence: Replications and implications. Communication Education, 36, pp. 119–130.

[14] Jacobs, S. (1987). ‘How to make an argument from example.’ In Ellis, D. G. and Donohue, W. A. (Eds.), Contemporary issues in language and discourse processes. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.

[15] Koul, R., Roy, L., Kaewkuekool, S., & Ploisawaschai, S. (2009). ‘Mutiple Goal Orientation and Foreign Language Anxiety.’ System, 37, pp. 676-688.

[16] Nicholls, J. (1993). ‘Exchange Structure in the ESL Classroom: Q-A-C and Q-CQ-A-C Sequences in Small Group Interaction.’ Pragmatics and Language Learning, Monograph Series, (4), pp. 183-191.

[17] McHoul, A. (1978). The organization of turns at formal talk in the classroom. Language in Society .7 (2).

[18] Long, M. H. (1983). ‘Inside the "black box": Methodological issues in classroomresearch on language learning.’ In H.W. Seliger and M.H. Long (Eds.), Classroom oriented research in second language acquisition. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House.

[19] Zhang, H. (2011). Language anxiety in ESL classroom: analysis of turn-taking patterns in ESL classroom discourse. International Conference on Education, Research and Innovation, 18, pp. 29-33.

[20] McHoul, A. (1978). The organization of turns at formal talk in the classroom. Language in Society .7 (2).

[21] Worde, R. (1998). An investigation of students' perspectives on foreign language anxiety. George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.

Downloads

Issue

Vol. 4 , Iss. 4 (November 2021)

Article Type

Articles

License

Copyright and Licensing

The authors shall retain the copyright of their work but allow the Publisher to publish, copy, distribute, and convey the work.

Review of Educational Theory publishes accepted manuscripts under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Authors who submit their papers for publication by Review of Educational Theory agree to have the CC BY-NC 4.0 license applied to their work, and that anyone is allowed to reuse the article or part of it free of charge for non-commercial use. As long as you follow the license terms and original source is properly cited, anyone may copy, redistribute the material in any medium or format, remix, transform, and build upon the material.

License Policy for Reuse of Third-Party Materials

If a manuscript submitted to the journal contains the materials which are held in copyright by a third-party, authors are responsible for obtaining permissions from the copyright holder to reuse or republish any previously published figures, illustrations, charts, tables, photographs, and text excerpts, etc. When submitting a manuscript, official written proof of permission must be provided and clearly stated in the cover letter.
The editorial office of the journal has the right to reject/retract articles that reuse third-party materials without permission.

Journal Policies on Data Sharing

We encourage authors to share articles published in our journal to other data platforms, but only if it is noted that it has been published in this journal.