The Practice of 'Repair' During Conversational Discourse in EFL Classes
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Date
2009-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main aim of Ihis slUdy is to investigale Ihe practice of repair during conversational
discourse in a foreign language classroom. Thus, il is mea11l to assess the nature of repair and
repair-initiation patterns practiced during conversalional discourse in EFL classes, see the
extent to which students and teachers use repair-initiation strategies during S-S and T-S
interactions respectively, examine where the repair-initiations occur with reference to the
trouble-source (I'S) in the observed palterns, find out the most fi'equent repair and repairinitial
ion strategies used during classroom conversational discourse. The main subjects of the
study were first year English major students taking the course Communicative English Skills-II
and their teacher. Eight lessons recordings were made, fi'om all four sections students, fi'om
whichfour lessons were transcribedfor analysis. The analysis of the transcribed data shows that
all of the four repair initiation patterns were used during conversational discourse in EFL
classes except a variation in frequency of use. In addition, the qua11litative analysis reveals that
both slUdents and teachers play repair-initiation roles in S-S and T-S interactions respectively
fi'om which other-initiation stralegy is more fi'equently used than self-initiation. Moreover, other
initiated self repair pattern is most fi'equently used during conversational discourse in EFL
classes. Along with this, concerning the position where repair-initiations occur in the observed
patterns, in self initiated patterns the repair-initiations mostly occur in same turn; whereas in
other initiated repair patterns the repair-initiations fi'equently occur in next turn immediately
after the trouble-source. Finally, the thesis concludes by considering the implications of the
.findings forfurther researches as to why other repair-initiation mechanism is highly apparent as
well as other initiated self repair pal/ern is most fi'equently occur during conversational
discourse in EFL classes. So, the study recommends EFL teachers to conduct CA researches in
their classrooms to see the meaning negotiation strategies, in light with the practice of repair,
and thereby 10 get feed back for remedial works and enhance students ' communicative
competence.
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Keywords
During Conversational Discourse