Linguistic competence
- Vocabulary
- Pronunciation
Grammar
Pragmatic competence
How to
use language to achieve
Socio-linguistic
Knowing
the appropriate lannguage in different contexts
Strategic competence
Conversing
- Taking a risk - new word
- Not using new words but vocabulary you are comfortable with
Discourse competence
Ongoing
conversation between two people
If a
third person is able to infer the correct meanings without having been there in
the beginning
- Describe the stages from transmission to transformation and the teacher's role in these.
- What are the features in the IRF-exchange?
- It is three turns long.
- The first and the third turn are produced by the teacher, the second one by the student.
- The exchange is started and ended by the teacher.
- As a result of b. and c. the student's turn is sandwiched between two teacher's turn.
- The first teacher's turn is designed to elicit some kind of verbal response from a student. The teacher often already knows the answer (is "primary knower"), or at least has a specific idea "in mind" of what will count as a proper answer.
- The second teacher's turn (the third turn in the exchange) is some kind of comment on the second turn, or on the "fit" between the second and the first. Here the student finds out if the answer corresponds with whatever the teacher has "in mind".
- It is often clear from the third turn whether or not the teacher was interested in the information contained in the response, or merely in the form of the answer, or in seeing if the student knew the answer or not.
- If the exchange is part of a series, as is often the case, there is behind the series a plan and a direction determined by the teacher. The teacher "leads", the students "follow".
- The response part from the teacher tends to be "rating" - not replying but evaluating, thus judging the students, and this could prove unmotivating.
- The teacher asks a question to the room, expecting someone to volunteer the answer, and the teacher can choose someone, who wants to talk.
- Advantages: Everyone thinks about the answer, and no one is forced to answer.
- Disadvantages: Some students may get more turns, if they are eager, or they will try to answer it simultaneously -> noise.
- The teacher asks a specific person to answer his question.
- Advantages: equality - each pupil has the same chance of getting picked to answer, and the participation will be more orderly - making less noise.
- Disadvantages: Maybe only the student asked tries to think of the answer (the teacher could of course ask the question before choosing a student), or a student who is not ready or able to answer, could be forced.
- What are the characteristics of dialogue and conversation?
- Describe contingency in a classroom and the different components therein (see figure 20).
- Self-determined: motivated, critically thinkers,
- Exploratory: everybody is equal in all aspects
- Prolectic: Invites the less competent with the more competent
- Process-oriented: engaging the students and letting them grow academically
- Symmetrical: rights to speaking are equally shared
- Analyze the cases below by applying Van Lier's contingency interaction theory. Consider what you would have done differently if you were the teacher in this scenario and why. How could the topics have become more conversational?
First of, there is transmission; this is where one person shares
knowledge with the learners. In this
stage, it is the teacher's job to give knowledge to the pupils and
they are to listen – it is a monologue
from the one who knows, the ''knower''.
Then there's IRF questioning which shows the performance. The
learner is being led on by the
knower.
Furthermore, there is transaction, which is an exchange of
knowledge. Here it is possible to
compile groups and make group discussions, here the focus is
studying in a group where both
parties recieve knowledge.
Transformation comes last. This is a co-construction of meaning and
events.
As a teacher you have to fill out many shoes, among others, these
are a few of a teacher's role:
- the teacher must be an authoritarian, a role model, a questioner,
a controller, a facilitator, a guide.
I: Initiation (or question, elicitation)
R: Response (or answer)
F: Feedback (or follow-up, evaluation)
So an IRF-exchange is an exchange between two individuals (for
instance teacher/pupil), which contains both Initiation, Response and
Feedback.
An example (from the text):
1: A "How many people are
talking. Elly? … How many people?" I
2: B "Two people" R
3: A "Yes, that's right, two
people." F
Also called the teaching cycle
as it is very much used in the classroom.
Designed for instruction.
Main features:
Using this technique, the teacher can lead the students in the
direction he wants, and the students will immediately know if the answer is
correct. Also, the noise in the classroom will minimize, since the teacher
would be talking to one student at a time.
The IRF-exchange allows the teacher to maintain control of the
class.
Problems/disadvantages of IRF-exchange
Ways of initiate the IRF-exchange
Dialogue
In dialogue what I say correlates to what you're saying, and the
other way around. We connect when
talking, when I speak, your response is a reaction to what I say
and the other way around. In
dialogue and discussion, you exchange views and opinions, it's not
about agreeing about everything,
but to give and take, and for dialogue partners to consider new
views. Dialogue is an ongoing
communication, you don't have to reach a definite conclusion. You
don't know what the outcome of
a dialogue will be, the dialogue has it's own outcome and
conclusions. It has a 'spirit of its own'. We
can become very involved in the conversation. You co-operate, not
compete, so you both enjoy the
experience. The outcome is a good time together.
Conversation
Between two or more people. You are given a topic to discuss, and
engage in conversation about the
topic. There is no script to use, you develop the conversation
entirely on your own. Conversation is
where you attempt to reach some conclusion or to express some
viewpoints among two or more
persons.
The theory concerning contingency revoles around a behavioral
theory: this theory says that there is
no opportune way to lead a company, make decisions or organize a
corporation.. There is not ONE
right solution for any problem; instead, there has to be accounted
for several factors when addressing
a problem.
In a classroom, contingency is a setting where the pupils are:
Conversational:
Unpredictability of sequence and outcome and superficial markers.
There are two extremely important components related to the
classroom interaction, which are
equality and symmetry. The teacher, of course, is the one in
charge, but then how can you ensure
equality? It is hard. interactional symmetry between unequal
partners, has to be a focus point.
Everybody is equal and everybody is entitled to their own opinion.
