A Probe Into The Role Of Teacher-Student Conversational Interaction In Tefl

Language acquisition is a complex issue. Since 1960s, starting from describing the characteristics of second language learners, many linguists and psychologists have established many theories on second language acquisition based on the theories of first language acquisition. One is interaction theory, which emphasizes the importance of social environments, and the significance of conversational interaction in learning. Language learning never takes place in isolation, but in context. It is argued that classroom Teacher-Student (T-S) conversational interaction can set the scene for potential language learning. However, the issue has not been addressed deeply and comprehensively in general, and seldom pursued in China in particular. The purpose of the present study is threefold. Firstly, the study tries to describe the general features of the present second language classroom teacher-student conversational interaction in China, and pinpoint the major problems in teacher-student conversational interaction. Secondly, within the interactionist theoretical framework, this study attempts to describe the characteristics of T-S conversational interaction and proves that these conversational characteristics constitute optimum environments for second language acquisition. Thirdly, this study tries to investigate how to enhance teacher-student conversational interaction by using some questioning techniques in order to promote students' second language development. The present research, on the one hand, can illuminate pedagogy, namely that teachers are expected to create optimum environments through interaction in order to develop learners' second language competence and help them become autonomous learners, and on the other hand, are able to prove that the classroom is a productive place for the investigation of learners' learning process.