Teacher-student interactions in the ESL classroom: an investigation of three-part exchanges, teacher feedback, and the role of gender
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Abstract
Basic research conducted in the second language learning context of the classroom has flourished in the past few years. Investigators have entered the classroom to collect data on a myriad of aspects of the language learning environment, and a rich body of literature is accumulating on the use of language by teachers and learners. Interactions between teachers and learners have been the focus of many studies in English as a Second Language (ESL) and related fields, based on the assumption that opportunities for oral production coupled with feedback from teachers will facilitate the learning process. Such assumptions, however, while gaining some support from studies on factors influencing language acquisition, are still unproven. Moreover, specific data on the primary interactive classroom format known as the teaching cycle (teacher question-student answer-teacher response) is still lacking in the ESL literature. This project was designed to help fill this gap in the knowledge of ESL classroom interactions. By focusing on the teaching cycle, and especially the critical stage of teacher responses to student answers, it is an attempt to increase understanding of the dynamics of the learning environment.