KORAY ASLAN TAŞ 060910150

OBSERVE 3. TEACHER TALK AND ACTIONS

Procedure:

Before the Lesson:

The teacher said the students have limited time for englishEnglish. That's why, she prefers speaking L2
above %95 in classroom.” She also added when some students, who are not in same level in English,
sometimes have remarkable difficulties in understanding the instruction, she rarely makes Turkish
explanations. Yet, more than that, she makes one student translate the explanation for weak students to
be able to understand and do. As a last, she said if time is for activity, it means students will speak and
she generalygenerally doesn’t prefer correcting their errors so that they can like and get accustomed to
English and if time is for teacher talking, she speaks L2.

During the Lesson:

The students usually understand the teacher talk. When teacher has some doubt or observation
whether some of them understand, she has an application which was created by her and name of which
is heads down , heads up. To check their understandings about intructioninstruction, topic or such
things, she commands them “heads down”. Meanwhile, she asks comprehension check questions and
asks students to raise their hands. When the checking is over, she commands “heads up” and if results
require, she starts to retell or make some repetitions about it.

After the lesson:

1. She was able to totally implement them. She used L2 almost all. She used L1 just in one
situation in which a student didntdidn’t obey a rule of an application in and teacher made it
revealed to the classroom in L1. As a different case, she made an explanation about homework
and made it translated by a student to the classroom for students who may not have
understood to her.

2. She said she never uses L1 for giving instructions because she thinks even if a student doesn't
understand the instruction of an activity at beginning, he/she can understand it as the activity
goes forward. In English lesson, intructionsinstructions and other elements have to be given in
English to her so that students are enmired in English.
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Table 3a: The functions of teacher talk

Functions of Talk Frequency (tally each time you observe) Language

(L1/L2)
to give instructions always L2
to control/discipline always L2
to give feedback often L2
to praise always L2
to ask for information always L2
to give Information always L2
to provide examples of the target always L2
language
often
to give models of procedures or strategies L2
to check or test pupils' understanding always L2
to joke always L2
to maintain a good atmosphere always L2
to scold often L1
(Table taken from Moon, J. 2000. Teaching Children English. p. 61)

Table 3b: Strategies to give L2 instructions

Strategies used to give L2 instructions Always Often Sometimes Rarely never

Uses short sentences +++
Uses simple vocabulary +++
Uses chunks +++
Uses gestures/mimicry +++
Paces her/his talk +++
Uses repetitions +++
Uses visuals (pictures, realia …) +++
Her/his actions are linked to words +++
Demonstrates +++
Involves children (fish bowl technique etc.) +++
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Table 3c: L1 use and reasons.

Note down the L1 sentences uttered by the teacher and identify why the teacher used L1 instead of L2.

Examples of L1 use The reason for L1 use

Tek akıllı sen misin ? :) To demonstrate the wrong behaviour of a student
to whole class and to affect much.

I could just catch one sentence in L1. But I can say

as a general that the teacher uses L1 very rarely
when she wants to make huge and sudden impact
on classroom.