Discourse Analysis in Classroom Context - Report Example

room Dis Analysis al affiliation room Dis Analysis Dis analysis is the study of relationship between language and context in which the language is used. Discourse analysis is a heterogeneous constituent that entails the description of language beyond the sentence. It is interested in the context in which language is used and cultural influences language in use. Chun (2002) indicates that the model states that language competence and language use are the main elements of communication ability. The figure below illustrates the components of discourses analysis. Figure: Components of discourse analysis From the figure, above language communication ability not only depends on language competence of an individual, but also knowledge on the use of structures or the knowledge of the word. The shared knowledge constitutes of interlocutors in the communicative situation that makes references to shared knowledge and preposition as interactions takes place. The interlocutors make use of linguistic strategies which are; encoding and decoding ideas to create meaning in the context of language use. This is done through the mind and speech apparatus and all these must be put into the context of language. Speech acts in discourses analysis consists of the speakers’ utterance, what they intend to speak using actions and the receiver responds to what the speaker wants. The notion of speech acts, dates back to the work of great linguistic philosophers, though speech acts theory originates from Austin (1962), who states that sentence produce utterances that are used to report state of affairs, but other sentences state acts, for instance; “I name this girl terry”. Austin (1962) states that, the utterances have been described as per formative, while the specified circumstances require successful acts outlined as explicit performance, because they are part of utterances in language use that can be performed. Discourse analysis considers three things about any utterance. First, it looks at loctutionary face of utterance; this takes into account what the speaker does and refers to illocutionary force or function of speech. Lastly, it looks at perlocutionary effects of speech. Discourses analysis provides the difference between direct speech and indirect speech, in that, direct speech depends on perlocutionary effects, while indirect speech occurs when an illocutionary act is performed. Birmingham school of discourse analysis emanated from classroom discourse analysis (Maybin, 2010).This exposed a step by step model of discourse structure which is; lecture, transaction, interaction, which is mainly extensively subjugated impending, and has been the normal progression of moves inside a teaching discussion. Initiating moves made by the teacher, answering moves made by the students, and feedback move made by the teacher are part of classroom discourse analysis. This is referred to as, “IRF” model, and it can be found in other sectors such as consultations made by patient to doctor and other informal discussions. In the concluding move, which is follow-up activity, is expected to engage some sort of individual motivational assessment, for instance, encouraging student’s moribund through the teacher’s initiation. According to Birmingham model discourse analysis in a classroom situation, the language of traditional native speaker forms a rigid pattern. Teachers and learners speak according to the rigid patterns. This pattern allows interaction between the teacher and the students. The teacher starts an activity then students give their responses. Additionally, the teacher starts the lesson by giving a clear beginning and conclusion of the lesson. The teacher takes control of the class, but engages the learners in the teaching learning process. This process is referred to as framing mood where the teacher and his students share utterances. The framing move together with the utterances and questioning constitutes a transaction that creates a feeling of what is being done by the language in a classroom context. In English language, framing transactions are formal in that they are structured as right, okay, amongst others. The classroom interaction between the teacher and students has a structure, in that the teacher asks questions, students respond and then the teacher acknowledges their responses. The pattern is repeated throughout the lesson as learning takes place. Ask T Answer P Comment T Therefore, sequence in classroom situation follows TPT, TPT, TPT, TPT…. a unit known as an exchange that consists of question answer and comment. Each of these parts have been named as moves that can be summarized as opening moves, answering moves and follow up moves. They also have counterparts on exchange level which are initial, response, and follow up activities. The classroom dynamics that prevail in audio transaction of Miss Kates circle time segment is a student centered approach, where the teacher involves the learners in the learning process. The teacher employs the move process in teaching the students. First of all, the teacher asks the students what time it is and in turn the teacher gets responses from the learners. Some give right answers and others give wrong answers, then the teacher gives a follow up move stating the right answers. The teacher questions are not obvious and her intention is to determine if the students have knowledge on time segment. There is the notion of classroom dynamics where the teacher ends the section of time segments and starts questioning the notion of letters and sound patterns in words as they occur. The students give right responses and the teacher makes a follow up stating whether the responses are right or wrong. This kind of dynamic is advantageous because the learner takes part in the teaching learning activity; thus, tends to gain more information and gets time to think and give responses. The learner is in a position to listen to others and correct each other during the teaching learning process. This dynamic is appropriate to use in the classroom because the learner tends to understand all the aspects of English structure in terms of utterance and communication in the classroom context. Some of the responses in the classroom situation are meant to elicit more information from the students, for instance when the teacher asks the students to identify rhyming words. T; Now it is rhyme time stop rhymes with S; Mop T; Can you think of anything else S; Cop T; can you think of another one that rhymes with cop and mop Carrier S; don’t know T; you don’t know ok Isabel This illustration indicates the utterance made between the teacher and the students. This is a student centered approach, where the teacher involves the learners in the teaching learning process, though the teacher needs to motivate the learners to try and come up with responses instead of saying I don’t know. The teacher should try to make use of less obvious questions so as to make the student think and talk more or get involved in utterance. This will develop their speaking and listening skills based on context of language use. It can be concluded that a number of interactions make a move and the move develops into a lesson, the exchanges make move and the move leads to acts as one speaks. References Austin, K. (1962). Discourse analysis in classroom context. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Chun, M. (2002). Discourse analysis in classroom in L2: From Theory and Research to Practice. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Maybin, J. (2010). The Routledge Companion to English Language Studies. New York: Taylor & Francis. Read More