Teacher talk may seem straightforward, with experts imparting knowledge to students who passively receive it, similar to a car receiving parts on an assembly line. However, in reality, effective teaching in today’s dynamic and literate world requires teachers to be active negotiators, seeking to understand their students’ perspectives in order to effectively reach them.
The language classroom presents an additional challenge, as the negotiation of knowledge extends beyond the content itself to encompass the means of communication. When teachers and students come from different languages and cultures, successful dialogue becomes even more crucial.
Classroom dialogue goes beyond simple conversation between teacher and student. In an effective dialogue, both parties work together to negotiate meaning, bridging gaps in understanding and exploring new ideas. A dialogic classroom that achieves these goals is more inclusive and welcoming of diverse perspectives and knowledge bases. Unfortunately, scholarly research on classroom dialogue has often neglected the language learning context, where linguistic and cultural gaps require the functions of dialogue for mutual understanding.
A new book titled “Dialogue in the Language Classroom: Theory and Practice from a Classroom Discourse Analysis” offers educators and researchers a comprehensive framework for understanding teacher talk and classroom interaction. Authored by Dr. Roehl Sybing, a language teacher and sociocultural researcher, the book analyzes data from a classroom ethnography involving an English-speaking teacher and Japanese-speaking students, exploring the elements that make classroom dialogue truly dialogic.
Using theories from teaching and learning, linguistic anthropology, and language teaching, Dr. Sybing delves deep into classroom dialogue to uncover how teachers can bridge the language gap and engage students in meaningful conversations that facilitate learning.
The book examines classroom dialogue from various angles, addressing important questions such as the role of students’ first language in the language classroom, how teachers can empower students and validate their knowledge by mitigating classroom power dynamics, and how the negotiation of meaning in dialogue influences the knowledge being taught. By shedding light on these issues, Dr. Sybing’s book aims to contribute to the scholarship on language teaching.
The book also provides practical guidance for educators, offering strategies for fostering meaningful dialogue with students from different disciplines and backgrounds. By challenging the notion of the teacher as the sole expert, the book emphasizes the importance of teachers understanding their students’ knowledge and cultural backgrounds to co-construct new knowledge through dialogue.
Ultimately, “Dialogue in the Language Classroom” strives to challenge existing paradigms in language education scholarship and theories of classroom dialogue. Incorporating discussions on multilingual and multicultural interaction, this research benefits scholars and educators across various fields.
More information:
Roehl Sybing, Dialogue in the Language Classroom, (2023). DOI: 10.4324/9781003316480, www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mo … assroom-roehl-sybing
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Doshisha University
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Book examines classroom dialog across language and culture (2023, June 16)
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