The role of teacher talk in young learners’ language process

Abstract

In recent years there has been numerous research reporting on the characteristics of teacher talk and the role of it with regard to learners’ learning a second or foreign language. In the present study 16 Turkish young learners of English as a foreign language and one Turkish EFL teacher participated. Data were collected by means of audio-recording and then they were analyzed by Conversation Analysis Methodology. As a result of this study several characteristics of the participating teacher's language use were identified. The identified categories were analyzed under two headings; construction and obstruction. Direct error correction, content feedback, prompting, extended wait time, repairing are identified as the sub categories of constructive teacher talk. On the contrary, turn completion, teacher echo, extended use of initiation-response-feedback turn taking are the subcategories of the obstructive talk.