A Study of the Class Room Language of Juni or Secondary School Teachers of EngliSh
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Date
1990-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study is basically to identify tho
language f'unc'bi.ons most commonlyused by junior secondary school
teachers of English in the classroom. In addition, the study aims
at identifying the linguistic errors that occur in the language
functions and along with this it attempts to show which language
functions the teachers find most difficult to handle and whioh they
mani.pul.a+e with ease.
Four government junior second8~y schools were selected for
the study. From tho twelve teachers of English working in these
schools eight were selected and recorded while teaching English in
tho classroom. The reoorded lessons were then transcribed and
analysed on the basis of the system of analysis developed by
Sinclair and Coulthard (1915) vri..tha slight modification made by
this researcher.
The results of the analysis of the findings showed that the
mosf commonLanguage functions used by these teaohers wore:
a) Asking questions (Elioiting and Re-elioiting) whioh took
59.3% of the lesson time;
b) Ex:plaining, Exempl.i.f'yi.ng, summarizing (Informing in general)
which took' 26.1% of the lesson time;
c) Giving instructions and orders (Directing) whioh took 9.3%
of the lesson time;
d) Opening and olosing the stages of tho lesson (Framing and
Focusing) which took 4.57~of the lesson time; and
e) Checking students' understandine of the Leason which took
0.8% of the lesson time.
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The results also showed that there wor-e511 errors
(granunatical and pronunciation errors) which woro classified into 11
categories. Of theso errors, 39.5~~ were identified in Elicits, 36.4%
in Informs, 14.2% in Directs, 6.6% in Boundary exchanges, and 3.3% ':
in Checks. Further, it was fotmd that the ratio of errors to
exchanges is much greater in Informs than in anyone of the other
exchanges. There were nearly three more errors in every Inform
exchange than in everyone of the ollher exchanges.
In addition, the results showed that the functions of
explaining, summarizing, evaluating (in general explaining meaning
or putting over information) and giving instructions were the most
difficult ones for the teachers to hanclle while asking questions
(particularly re-eliciting by nominating or prompting or looping)
and ohecki.ng students' understanding wer-ethe onos tho teachers
fOlli~deasy to manipulate.
On the basis of the findings it was recommendedthat junior
secondary school teachers of English need to be given appropriate
training in these language f'uno'bi.onsparticularly in the functions
concerned with explaining meaning or putting over information,
rephrasing and simplifying unanswer-ed elicits, and giving
instructions. In addi,ti011tit was recomended that improvements
should be made in the textbooks in a way that would minimize
teachers' over-reliance on them and proviae enough chanoes of using
these language f'unctions as frequently and meaningfully as possible.
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Keywords
Juni or Secondary School