Classroom discourse in English Language Teaching (ELT) refers to the dynamic and interactive communication process between teachers and students in the classroom. It encompasses the various ways in which language is used to facilitate learning, manage classroom activities, and negotiate meaning. Key aspects of classroom discourse include:
1. *Teacher Talk Dominance*: Teachers typically dominate the conversation, with about 65-70% of the time spent on teacher talk, which often consists of lecturing or asking questions[3][4].
2. *Interaction Types*: Classroom discourse involves different types of interactions, such as:
- *Elicitation*: The teacher elicits responses from students to engage them in the learning process[4][5].
- *Informing Exchange*: The teacher provides information to students, which is a common type of interaction[5].
- *Directing Exchange*: The teacher gives directions or instructions to students[5].
3. *Register Analysis*: This involves analyzing classroom discourse's register (field, mode, and tenor) to understand how language is used in different contexts. For example, a study using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) analyzed the register in classroom discourse, focusing on the field (subject matter), mode (formality), and tenor (relationship between participants)[2].
4. *Meaning Negotiation*: This involves the give-and-take process between teachers and students to construct knowledge and negotiate meaning. Students need to recognize the topic of the lesson, and teachers should produce verbal exchanges to construct students' knowledge[6].
5. *Discourse Analysis Frameworks*: Researchers use frameworks like Sinclair and Coulthard's model, which includes acts, moves, exchanges, transactions, and interactions, to analyze classroom discourse[4].
Understanding classroom discourse is crucial for effective teaching and learning in ELT settings, as it helps create a supportive and interactive environment that promotes student engagement and comprehension.
