CLASSROOM INTERACTION

1.      Definition of Classroom Interaction

Classroom interaction as  a two-way process between the participants in the learning process.

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.

Interaction in the classroom is an essential part of teaching learning process. Interaction or human interaction has been defined as a process whereby two or more people engaged in reciprocal actions. This action may be verbal or nonverbal. (Celce-Murcia, 1987).

Classroom interaction: Classroom interaction as a form of institutional talk is locally managed but cooperatively constructed speech exchange system (Markee & Kasper, 2004).

Chaudron (1988:10) stated that interaction is viewed as significant because it is argued that only through interaction, the learner can decompose the teaching learning structures and derive meaning from classroom events.

Based on some definitions above, we can conclude that Classroom Interaction is process of communication in form of verbal or nonverbal between students and teacher in the classroom when teaching learning process is happen.

2.      Kinds of Classroom Interaction

Classroom Interaction can be categorized under these main headings such as:

-  Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning is a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together. Unlike individual learning, people engaged in collaborative learning capitalize on one another’s resources and skills (asking one another for information, evaluating one another’s ideas, monitoring one another’s work, etc.). More specifically, collaborative learning is based on the model that knowledge can be created within a population where members actively interact by sharing experiences and take on asymmetry roles. Put differently, collaborative learning refers to methodologies and environments in which learners engage in a common task where each individual depends on and is accountable to each other. These include both face-to-face conversations and computer discussions (online forums, chat rooms, etc.). Methods for examining collaborative learning processes include conversation analysis and statistical discourse analysis.

Alternatively, collaborative learning occurs when individuals are actively engaged in a community in which learning takes place through explicit or implicit collaborative efforts. Discussions and Debates

We use the terms discussion and debate to refer to various ways that teachers can engage students in classroom talk. Research supports indications that when teachers use discussion and debate, they can help students gain deeper understanding of the concepts and ideas in their textbooks and other curriculum materials.

Discussions involve the teacher and students: the teacher encourages students to share and clarify their thoughts.  The teacher encourages students to listen to one another, and to dig deeper into the ideas they are discussing. Finally, students begin to move beyond their own thoughts, and to consider and discuss the ideas of their classmates.

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 Session

Interactive learning sessions involve learners actively participating, collaborating, and interacting in the learning session.  They are distinctive from presentations in that learning is facilitated through interaction, rather than lecturing.

Learning session is defined as a learning or training event that can be part of a course, but has its own internal coherence in terms of outcomes and subject matter coverage, and is sufficiently discrete to be able to stand on its own.

Organisational requirements refer to the policies, procedures, and reporting requirements of the provider and/or client organisation.

-  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 the art in which a teller conveys a message, truths, information, knowledge, or story to an audience - often subliminally - in an entertaining way, using whatever skills, (musical, artistic, creative) or props he chooses, to enhance the audience's enjoyment, retention and understanding of the message conveyed. Stories are sometimes told purely for joy and delight.

1. Storytelling is interactive.

 Storytelling involves a two-way interaction between a storyteller and one or more listeners. The responses of the listeners influence the telling of the story. In fact, storytelling emerges from the interaction and cooperative, coordinated efforts of teller and audience.

2. Storytelling uses words.

 Storytelling uses language, whether it be a spoken language or a manual language such as American Sign Language. The use of language distinguishes storytelling from most forms of dance and mime.

3.. Storytelling uses actions such as vocalization, physical movement and/or gesture.

These actions are the parts of spoken or manual language other than words. Their use distinguishes storytelling from writing and text-based computer interactions. Not all nonverbal language behaviors need to be present in storytelling. Some storytellers use body movement extensively, for example, whereas others use little or none.

4. Storytelling presents a story.

Storytelling always involves the presentation of a story—a narrative. Many other art forms also present story, but storytelling presents it with the other four components. Every culture has its own definition of story. What is recognized as a story in one situation may not be accepted as one in another. Some situations call for spontaneity and playful digression,

5. Storytelling encourages the active imagination of the listeners.

 In storytelling, the listener imagines the story. In most traditional theatre or in a typical dramatic film, on the other hand, the listener enjoys the illusion that the listener is actually witnessing the character or events described in the story.

-  Soliloquies

The noun, soliloquy, comes from the Latin roots, solus "alone" plus loqui "speak" meaning "a talking to oneself." A soliloquy is a speech a character gives of his thoughts and reflections. Some of the most famous lines in drama are taken from soliloquies. Take "to be or not to be..." and "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace..." as two examples of lines from soliloquies that have tortured high school students around the globe. Not the Globe Theater, Silly

Soliloquy is a character's speech voicing his or her own thoughts as if to himself. Shakespeare's plays are full of soliloquies.

It is a great technique used to convey the progress of action of the play by means of expressing a character’s thoughts about a certain character or past, present or upcoming event while talking to himself without acknowledging the presence of any other person.

Example:

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”

(Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

Juliet was thinking aloud about the traditional enmity between Romeo’s clan and her family, expressing her hopelessness about the success of their love.

-  Conversation with learners

Conversation with learners is the interaction between the teacher and the students is an essential part of teaching and learning process. Classroom interaction stimulates the student involvement in the classroom. It fuels student motivation and help the students see the relevance of teachers' topic. It increases participation as all students are involved. The interaction can be between the teacher and the students. This form of classroom interaction teaches the students to respect their superiors. They are given a chance to air their opinion in the class.

-  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.

Role-playing takes place between two or more people, who act out roles to explore a particular scenario. By acting scenarios, you can explore how other people are likely to respond to different approaches; and you can get a feel for approaches that are likely to work, and for those that might be counter-productive. You can also get a sense of what other people are likely to be thinking and feeling in the situation.

Also, by preparing for a situation using role-play, you build up experience and self-confidence with handling the situation in real life, and you can develop quick and instinctively correct reactions to situations.

3.      Objectives of Classroom interaction

-  This type of interaction helps the learners to identify their own learning methods.

-  This interaction will guide the learners to communicate with their peers easily and will give them an exposure to the vase genres of language learning.

-  It will help the learner to come face to face with the various types of interaction that can take place inside the classroom.

-  Classroom Interaction aims at meaningful communication among the students in their target language.

-  It also aims at probing into the learner’s prior learning ability and his way of conceptualizing facts and ideas.

-  This practice will help the teacher to have a detailed study of the nature and the frequency of student interaction inside the classroom.

4.      Activity in classroom interaction‘—ˆ•„†—Œ’‘

These are the most frequent ways of organising classroom interaction, depending on who  communicates with whom:

a)        Teacher – learners

Interaction (teacher – learners) is established 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

The second arrangement is conducted when the teacher refers to the whole class, but expects only one student 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

The third type of interaction 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.

d)       Learners – learners

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.

 

6.      Steps to teach story-telling

1.    Decide teaching objective

Decide what teaching objectives that you want to achive by using story-telling.

• Built an effective interaction when the story is told
• Promote a feeling of well-being and relaxation

• Increase children's willingness to communicate thoughts and feelings

• Encourage active participation

• Increase verbal proficiency

• Encourage use of imagination and creativity

• Encourage cooperation between students

• Enhance listening skills

2.    Provide the complete material about story

Provide some stories that you will tell to your students. Support the story with some pictures to make it more interesting.

3.    Create a lesson plan

The main activity in lesson plan is:

1.        Tell the story to your students

2.        Give some oral question to the students related to the story

3.        Divide class into some group

4.        Provide one story for each group

5.        Take them retell in front of the class

6.        Ask the other students to respond the story that have told by their friends

4.    Take a class

Apply what your lesson plan to the class, pay much attention that when you are telling the story you have to:

-  Keep It Simple

-  Maintain Eye Contact

-  Use Vivid Language That Kids Can Understand

-  Use Movement

-  Use Dramatic Pauses

-  Change Your Voice With Different Characters

-  Invite Interaction

5.    Assess the students

Assessment can be taken from each interaction that happen in the class. It is while the story is told or when the story have told. It also can be taken from story-telling of the students.

6.    Give feedback

-  Encourage students by providing positive feedback. Public speaking is a prevalent fear, so comment on things that students did well to generate a desire to continue perfecting their storytelling skills.

-  Provide constructive criticism. Instead of saying that a story was boring, draw the student's attention to areas of the story that can be enlivened by adding interesting details or voice inflections.