CLASSROOM INTERACTION FOR SPEAKING
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.Background Of The Problem
There was a time when the traditional
approach of teaching was adopted by most of the teachers, where the learner
used to be dependent only on the lecture delivered by the teacher. They were
not exposed to enough practice of speaking on their own and hence the
interaction among the students in the classroom was almost absent. But as the
education system changed with time so has the teaching methods. Education
system now demands more of student interaction rather than just listening to
the instructor. Hence Classroom Interaction is very essential in today’s
education system.
Effective classroom
interaction has two
implications. The first
one concerns a
pleasant atmosphere in the
classroom with friendly
relationships among the
participants of the learning process. The second one, which
is mostly described in the article, encourages students to become
effective communicators in
a foreign language.
#is can be
achieved through various ways: by
implementing different student and
teacher roles, by exposing students to a varied classroom organisation,
by employing a variety of activities, by helping students to express themselves
and by encouraging
their use of
communication strategies. If
the two implications are joined,
we get a pleasant classroom atmosphere in which students are trying to
communicate in the foreign language.
B. Problem Formulation
1.
What is the definition of classroom interactions?
2.
What are the types of classroom interactions?
3.
What are the examples of learning model (classroom interactions)?
C. Purpose Of The Problem
1.
To know what the definition of clasroom interactions is.
2.
To know what the types of classroom interactions are.
3.
To know what the examples of learning model (classroom interactions) are.
CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION
A. Definition Of Classroom Interaction
The
Cambridge International Dictionary
of English defines
the verb ‘to
interact’ as ‘to communicate with or react to (each
other)’. The New Oxford Dictionary of English defines the noun ‘interaction’ as
a ‘reciprocal action or influence’. Therefore
interaction is more than action followed by reaction. It includes acting
reciprocally, acting upon each other. Rivers (1987, 57) describes the word
through its Latin roots: ‘agere’meaning ‘to do’
and ‘inter’meaning ‘among’. It
shows us the active and social part of a human being that affects other people
through interaction. Brown (2001, 165) relates interaction to communication,
saying, “…interaction is, in fact, the heart of communication: it is
whatcommunication is all about”.
1. Classroom
Interaction is a practice that enhances the development of the two very
important language skills which are speaking and listening among the learners.
This device helps the learner to be competent enough to think critically and
share their views among their peers. (Amrita Ghosh; 2010)
2. Classroom
interaction refers to the verbal exchanges among students and between students
and teachers. It is part of a collaborative group learning process involving
discussions and class participation. Talking and listening are primary
components of classroom interaction. (Phil Whitmer; www.answerbag.com)
3. Interaction
is occurred everyday in the classroom activities between the teacher
and the learners. Interaction commonly
defines as a kind of actionthat occurs as
two or more objects has an effectupon
one another. The idea of a two-way effect
is essential in the concept of
interaction, as opposed to a one-way causaleffect.
From
the various definitions above, we can conclude that clasroom interaction is
clasroom activities between teacher and the learners through process of
discussions and class participation that used to develop the two
very important language skills which are speaking and listening among the
learners.
B. Participants in
Classroom Interaction Activity
According
to Mateja Dagarin (2004), these are the most frequent ways of organising
classroom interaction, depending on who communicates with whom:
a) Teacher – learners
The first form of interaction (teacher –
learners) isestablished when a teacher talks to the whole class at the same
time. He takes the role of a leader or controller and decides about the type and
process of the activity. The primary function ofsuch interaction is controlled
practising of certain language structures or vocabulary. Mostly, they are in
the form of repeating structures after the teacher (the model). This type of
practiceis also referred to as ‘a drill’.
b) Teacher – learner/a group of learners
It is conducted when the teacherrefers
to the whole class, but expects only one student or a group of students to
answer. It is often used for evaluation of individual students. This
arrangement can also be used for an informal conversation at the beginning of
the lesson or for leading students into a less guided activity.
c) Learner – learner
It is called ‘pair work’.Students get an
assignment, which they have to finish in pairs. The teacher holds the role of a
consultant or adviser, helping when necessary. After the activity, he puts the
pairs into a whole group and each pair reports on their work. The last type of
classroom interaction is called ‘group work’. As with pair work, the teacher’s
function here is that of a consultant and individual groups report on their
work as a follow-up activity.
d) Learners – learners
It is useful for encouraging interaction
among students. In large classes, they present the only possibility for as many
students as possible to use the foreign language. The research has shown (Long et al. 1976 in Nunan 1991, 51) that
students use more language functions in pair-
and group-work than in other forms of interaction. It has also been
proven that students perceive them as the most pleasant ways of learning,
because they feel relaxed and subsequently communicate better (Phillips 1983 in
Hatch 1992, 93). Such work encourages independent learning and gives some
responsibility for learning to students. It approaches real-life communication
where students talk to their peers in small groups or pairs. Nevertheless, whole-class
organisation should not be completely neglected since it is still more
appropriate for guided and controlled activities.
C. Types Of Classroom
Interaction
Classroom Interaction can be categorized under these
main headings such as:
• Collaborative Learning
• Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning is an instructional method in
which students team together on an assignment. In this method, students can
produce the individual parts of a larger assignment individually and then
“assemble” the final work together, as a team. In a collaborative model,
students become teachers, asking questions of each other, discussing,
and drawing
conclusions that they may then demonstrate to the class.
• Discussions and Debates
We use the terms discussion and debate
to refer to various ways that teachers can engage students in classroom talk.In
the classroom environment ,discussion is the best way of promoting conducive
learning and convenient teaching situation. It refers to the method of
instruction which give pupils an opportunity to express their views or opinions
orally on certain issues. One person speaks at a time,while others are listen.
It doesn't always involve the presentation of new information and concepts. It
also invoves sharing of ideas and experiences ,solving problems and promoting
tolerance with understanding. Discussion method is suitable in many situations
and can be used in many situations of teaching and learning.
Debates are planned classroom activities in which one
particular claim or idea is discussed, and then students plan together to
present their positions on the central claim or idea. The focus is not on
winning or losing the debate – the purpose is to develop students’ abilities to
think through a set of claims or arguments, in order to deepen their
understanding and enhance their ability to learn.
• Interactive Sessions
Interactive sessions can be used in lectures to demonstrate the application of a concept, a
skill, or to act out a process. The exercise should not be passive; you should
plan and structure your demonstration to incorporate opportunities for students
to reflect and analyze the process.
• Reading Aloud
Reading aloud is a classroom activity in which one person is
reading while others listen. Reading aloud may be performed by the teacher or
student. Reading aloud may be performed by a single person or by a group taking
turns. This form of highly structured classroom interaction allows all students
to be focused at exactly the same point in a reading. This allows students to
easily focus on vocabulary and pronunciation.
• Story-telling
Story telling is described as “a technique of teaching
that has stood the test of time” (Chambers, 1970, p. 43). With first language
children, story telling is being promoted as “an ideal method of influencing a
child to associate listening with pleasure, of increasing a child’s attention
span and retention capacity, or broadening vocabulary, and of introducing a child
to the symbolic use of language” (Cooper,1989, p. 3).
• Question and answer
Question-and-answer is
a traditional form of classroom interaction in which a teacher or student
explains and poses a question for the other. Questions asked by the teacher are
usually for the purpose of assessment, while questions asked by the students
are usually for obtaining new information.Question-and-answer as a form
of interactive learning allows students to have a large influence on the agenda
of the classroom, because it allows them to freely express their thoughts and
feelings.
• Conversation with learners
Classroom conversation is a form of classroom interaction in
which students in the class discuss a given topic. The conversation may be held
across the whole class or in smaller groups. Conversation is an important form
of classroom interaction because it helps students develop their language
skills. In a conversation, students may apply the skills and knowledge they
have acquired in the class, making classroom conversation a practical form of
interaction.
·
Role Play
Role-playing is an activity in which students take on given
or chosen roles and act out a scene with others. This form of interaction lends
itself to almost any situation, and the only restriction is a student's
imagination. Role-playing allows students to demonstrate their creativity and
knowledge about their roles, and it allows students to think outside of the
constraints of the classroom and consider how they might apply the learned
material to the real world. This form of interaction can integrate different
subjects into one activity.
D. Example Of Learning Models
For the example of learning model, we
use one of them. That is role play. According to Brown (2001), "role-play
minimally involves (a) giving a role to one or more members of a group and (b) assigning
an objective or purpose that participants must accomplish." Brown
suggested role-play can be conducted with a single person, in pairs or in
groups, with each person assigned a role to accomplish an objective (p. 183). As
Larsen-Freeman pointed out in her book "Techniques and
Principles in Language Teaching", "Role-plays are very important in
the Communicative Approach because they give students an opportunity to
practice communicating in different social contexts and in different social
roles." (p. 137, Larsen-Freeman) In order to help students improve their
listening, speaking and overall communicative skills. For the role play
activities in the classroom, there are six major steps in the procedure :
1. Decide on the Teaching Materials
The teacher must decide which teaching
materials will be used for role play activities. The teaching materials can be
taken from text books or non-textbook teaching materials such as picture books,
story books, readers, play-scripts, comic strips, movies, cartoons and
pictures. The material is selected ahead of time by the teacher. The teacher
can also create his or her own authentic teaching materials for role play
activities. The teaching materials should be decided based on students' level
and interests, teaching objectives and appropriateness for teaching
2. Select Situations and Create Dialogs
Then a situation or situations to be
role played should be selected. For every role plays situation, dialogs should
be provided (by the teaching materials or by the teacher) or created by the
students themselves.
3. Teach the Dialogs for Role Plays
The teacher needs to teach the
vocabulary, sentences, and dialogs necessary for the role play situations. The
teacher needs to make sure the students know how to use the vocabulary,
sentences and dialogs prior to doing the role play activities, otherwise,
the teacher should allow students to ask how to say the words they want to say.
4. Have Students Practice the Role Plays
Students can practice in pairs or in
small groups. After they have played their own roles a few times, have them
exchange roles. That way, students can play different roles and practice all of
the lines in the role play. When students are confident enough to demonstrate
or perform in front of the class, the teacher can ask them to do so for their
classmates.
5. Have Students Modify the Situations and
Dialogs
Once students have finished and become
familiar with an original role play situation, they can modify the situations
and/or dialogs to create a variation of the original role play.
6. Evaluate and Check Students' Comprehension
Finally, the teacher shall evaluate the
effectiveness of the role play activities and check if students have
successfully comprehended the meanings of the vocabulary, sentences and
dialogs. There are several ways to do student evaluations. Students can be
given oral and listening tests relating to the role plays. Example oral tests
can include the following.
- Students are asked to answer some simple questions relating to the role plays.
- Students are asked to reenact the role plays.
- Students are asked to translate the role plays into their native language.
For listening tests, beginning students
can do simpler tasks such as: "listen and circle", "listen and
number", "listen and match" types of questions. For more
advanced students, they can be asked to write the words, lines, and/or dialogs
in the role plays. They can also be asked to create and write variations of the
role plays. Teachers can also evaluate students' understanding and
comprehension while observing students' interactions, practices, and
performances of their role plays.
CHAPTER III
CLOSING
Successful interaction is the basis of
positive human relationships among people. Similarly to everyday-life interaction,
students have to be trained to be effective communicators in a foreign
language. We can do this through different ways of encouraging classroom
interaction. Firstly, teachers can take on a variety of roles, not always
performing the role of an instructor, but also that of a consultant or a
co-communicator.Classroom organisation can also be adapted more often for
one-to-one or group-work arrangementto encourage peer interaction.
Secondly, classroom interaction can be
improved through a variety of activities for developing accuracy or fluency and
controlled alternately by a teacher and students.And finally, classroom
interaction can be developed by applying different strategies for helping
students
to communicate. Teachers help students by
asking questions, choosing appropriate
topics
and providing them with comprehensible input. Students can improve their
interaction
skills
by deploying a variety of communication strategies
REFERENCES
Byrne, D. 1987. Techniques for Classroom
Interaction. Harlow : Longman.
Cambridge International Dictionary of English on
CD-Rom. 2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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