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