Name: Chilyatus Sariroh

NIM: 167111

Summary

EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Classroom Discourse

Analysis of a Vocational College and Some Reflections

This paper tells about the analysis of discourse in EFL (English as Foreign Language) classroom in a vocational college. This paper also tells some problem that existing in the current English teaching processes. And there is some suggestion to make the improvement respectively. The application of classroom discourse in EFL teaching and learning can show much about how the teacher performs in their practise teaching. in this paper also tries to reveal the existence of EFL classrooms in a vocational college from the view of classroom discourse analysis. Especially in the aspect of TT (teacher talk). Student-centred and also teacher-centred has been highlighted concept in the education field for a long time. And it has stated clearly and firmly in the current ‘CECR’ (College English Curriculum Requirements). Teaching in college should change the traditional teacher-dominated didactic

teaching in the college should replace the traditional teacher-dominated didactic practice by a new mode featured develop students’ autonomous learning abilities and improving their language communicative competence. However,  vocational colleges have different from undergraduate college. They have their own character in some respect.

            The process of teaching and learning English in the classroom is so complicated. Because it contains various factors. It has interests and attention of scholar disciplines. Such as the linguistics, pedagogy, sociology and psychology, etc. This has been one of the most heated topics in research and second language acquisition.   

This paper will bring the analysis of three classes of EFL classroom. There are two proportion of time in TT (teacher talk) and ST (student talk). Some students are assumed to have enough time to talk in the class, and also practice the target language and improve

their communication of  competency. It is finding inthe study and show that

the actual time proportion in EFL classrooms in the vocational college is quite different from the notion, as it is shown in table 1. It contains of time proportion of teacher and stdudent in EFL classroom. From class 1 up to class 3 almost o them are need TT (teacher talk) the higherst precentage is class two that shows 82.6%.

From that Table 1, we can see there is a clear similarity among those three classes that being observed, i.e.,

the quantity of TT surpassed the quantity of ST, which shows that most of  TT still dominates the interaction

between teacher and students in the EFL classroom nowadays in the vocational college.

IRF (initiation-response-feedback)  structure in the classroom discourse. As far as the structure of

interaction between teacher and students in the classroom is concerned, Sinclair and Coulthard (1975) found

that the language of traditional teacher-controlled classrooms is in a discipline pattern, where teachers and students have to speak based on fixed perceptions of the roles and where the talk could be seen to conform to highly in the structured events. There are two another table of analysis more. the second is Table 2 talking about the proportion of IRF Structure in Classroom Discourse. And the third is Table 3 talking about Frequency of Display Questions and Referential Questions.

As the  result of these all analysis, the conclusion shows that the teachers prefer to ask display questions than referential questions. As mentioned before, many researchers supported that referential questions increase the amount or a sum of learner output, and an increased use of referential questions by teachers may be created discourse that can produce the way of information from the students and create a more qusai-normal

speech. In contrast, display questions cannot achieve the effect. Based on the research findings what mentioned

above, it is clearly that referential questions can improve students’ output.it will be compared with the findings of the previous study, students in the EFL classrooms at the vocational school or college do not have much freedom to think actively and also express their opinions based on their own comprehension. This way, their assumed centeredness in the EFL. The classrooms has not been realized in actual practice.

As the implication, the author of this paper shows some suggestion. Such as minimize the quantity of TT, replace irf structure with more complex structures, and use more referential questions.

And as the conlusion, the author of this paper conclude that the analysis of three classes of EFL reveals some problems existing in the current English teaching processes and need some suggestions to make improvement respectively for students.

 My response

Teaching and learning student of EFL classroom in a vocational college is very complicated because of many factors such as pedagogy, linguistics, psychology etc. But there are some reflection and suggestion for the vocational college student to make the improvement in their EFL classroom.

Talking and conversation are the media through that teaching takes place. In other words, the fulfillment of teaching to a large degree depends on teacher-student interaction in the actual classroom teaching practice. This way, TT (teacher talk),  occupies a special place in the target language classroom, is closely related to  the success of students’ foreign  language acquisition. Teachers use  target  language  to do the teaching activities and as the principle means for giving instructions and directions, modeling target language patterns and giving  feedback  on  students’  performances.  Just  as what Nunan (1991) pointed out that, TT is of great importance, this way, it does not mean the more the better especially under the current notion of teaching and learning. As a result, by a close study of TT which including  its quantity, quality, form, etc., we can find out what is really going on in the EFL classrooms, no matter they are student-centered or not.

Aspects of Classroom Discourse Analysis :

• Amount of Teacher Talk
• IRF Structure

This the example of the following, the typical classroom discourse sequences: 

T: What’s the capital of Trance?   (Initiation) 

S: Paris.  (Response) 

T: Yes, Paris. That’s right.    (Feedback) 

These three moves, the teacher’s initiation, the student’s response and the teacher’s feedback,

consist of an exchange

• Teachers’ Questions

Pedagogical Implications and some suggestion to make the improvement in vocational college :

• Balancing teacher talk time and student talk time
• Encouraging using different forms of classroom discourse
• Asking more referential questions
• Minimize the Quantity of TT
• Replace IRF Structure with More Complex Structur
• Use More Referential Questions

 Teacher  Talk  (TT) is one of the significant ways a teacher uses to deliver  information and control  the learningbehavior of students (Allwrigh and Bailey, 1991, p.139). Gaies as cited in Allwright and Bailey (1991, p.139)

there is the relationship between EFL Learners’ Belief and Learning Strategy Use by English Majors in Vocational Colleges.

Discussing a group of learners’ beliefs about language learning and their strategy use is not an end in themselves. The work would be more meaningful and colorful only when the author examines what the findings suggest for teaching similar groups of students. In this section, some theoretical and pedagogical implications will be explored more. From the theoretical view, this study explored the relationship between language learning belief and language strategy. The findings of this research further confirmed the argument that students’ beliefs about language learning may affect their choice of language learning strategy (Yang, 1992; Horwitz, 1988, 1987; Wenden, 1986, 1987) and the importance of metacognitive knowledge to language learning by providing empirical evidence.   From the pedagogical view, some practical implication and recommendation will be given for classroom practice.

1. Identifying and Assessing Students’ Language Learning Beliefs and Strategies in the EFL Classroom.

2. Fostering Positive Language Beliefs for Students

3. Conducting Strategy Training Program in Regular Classroom—Strategy Based Instruction (SBI)

4. Implementing Strategies- and Beliefs- Component within the Language Teaching Syllabus.

References :

• Esmailzade Amin (2004) EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Classroom Discourse Analysis:

Focus on Teacher Talk. Allameh Mohaddes Nouri University : Nour.

• Putri Dina Septryana (2015) The Analysis of Teacher Talk and The Characteristic of Classroom Interaction in English as A Foreign Language Classroom . Indonesia University of Education
• Li Fengfanf (2010) Relationship between EFL Learners’ Belief and Learning Strategy Use by English Majors in Vocational Colleges. Chongqing Yangtze Normal University: Academy publisher
• EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Classroom Discourse Analysis of a Vocational College and Some Reflections. Zhejiang Medical College, Hangzhou, China : Liu Xin, Lou Luzheng, Shi Biru. David Publishing