A comparison of classroom discourse in two countries

Inhaltsangabe:Introduction: In our world of internationalisation and globalisation, teaching and learning take place in a transnational and global context. It is a proven fact that children spend significant periods of their lives in school and it is widely acknowledged among teachers as well as researchers that classroom discourse plays a crucial part in the process of learning. Language, after all, is which the business of schooling is primarily accomplished in. Learning takes place to a great extent when interacting with fellow students or the teacher. Therefore, classroom language studies, investigating what classroom discourse actually looks like (instead of stating what it should be), are of great importance. Nowadays language studies are to be seen as ‘social and cultural practises embedded in a comprehensive and potentially global process’. The study of classroom language and interaction is central to the study of classroom learning. Analysing classroom discourse in order to highlight its characteristic features, therefore, constitutes a worthwhile task since its findings may be used to improve teaching. In this way teachers might become more aware of the way teachers and learners jointly create learning opportunities, and subsequently classroom discourse might be adjusted in order to enhance learning. Interestingly in this respect is Walsh’s reference to teachers’ interactional awareness, characterised as the use of meta-language, critical self-evaluation and more conscious interactive decision making. A detailed analysis of classroom discourse possibly helps heighten teachers’ awareness with regard to classroom interaction. In conclusion, the increased importance of language in our multicultural societies calls for a detailed investigation of features of classroom discourse with the overall aim of improving teaching and consequently learning. Analyzing classroom discourse is at the heart of the study presented here. The central idea of my enquiry is to compare classroom discourse in two countries. Comparatively studying classroom discourse in two countries will reveal different pedagogical traditions and their underlying social values. The focus of my study is on classes of English as a foreign language taught by a team of a non-native teacher and a native assistant. This analysis of teacher-assistant collaboration, a frequent yet under-researched form of practice, will also help to improve teaching. More background information on my [...]