An Analysis Of Teacher Talk: Forms And Functions Of Teachers' Questions In EFL Classroom Discourse

The question-answering behavior is predominant and pervasive in classroom of most subjects,since it is the easiest way to establish oral interaction between teacher and student.A question is likely to occupy the first part of the ubiquitous three-phase IRF exchange.Questions typically serve as devices for the initiating discourse centered on the medium-oriented goals.In EFL(English as Foreign Language) classroom,by asking students questions,teachers are able to elicit utterances from students and guarantee student talking time,because a question compels,requires,may even demand, a response.The study of questioning in L2 classrooms has so far received only superficial treatment,most of the work on questions has centered on developing taxonomies to describe the different types.This paper aims to tease out the relationship between question type and learner output in EFL classroom,and tries to draw some implications for College English teaching in China on teachers' interactional modification and teachers' feedback.To be brief,the present study tries to find out the answers to the following three research questions:1.What are the frequencies of different types(according to syntactic form and cognitive level) of questions used by the teachers? Which type elicits longer and more syntactically complex responses from students?2.What are the frequencies of comprehension checks,confirmation checks and clarification checks in the total interactional modifications and what do these imply for students' language learning effect?3.What are the frequencies of different types of teachers' praises? In what ways will teachers give feedback to students when their errors occur?Based on the analysis and discussion of the data collected by classroom audio records, conclusions are summarized as follows:(1) The power of Wh-questions is very strong,since they will trigger longer and more syntactically complex utterances than Yes/No questions in general.However,the fact that in some cases.Yes/No questions could also elicit effective response should not be ignored,presumably at a beginning level of language instruction.Teachers may try to analyze more delicate the differences of different syntactic questions and apply them flexibly.(2) It is important for teachers to notice that higher cognitive questions might increase the amount and syntactic complexity of student talk and make appropriate distribution on higher cognitive questions and lower cognitive questions according to the students' proficiency.Teachers should ask students questions challengeable,but without overwhelming them.(3) Teachers are expected to employ more interactional modifications in EFL classroom teaching for the purpose of increasing two-way flow of information.Although comprehension checks are more effective in less-interactive input such as reading comprehension lessons,and students may not have enough confidence to continue the answer when teachers make clarification checks,both teachers and researchers should pay more attention to clarification checks in EFL classroom teaching.(4) For any sort of praise to be more beneficial,teachers had better to state the reasons of their approval.Praises followed by appraisals need more distribution in EFL classroom teaching.(5) It is important for teachers to make corrections in appropriate ways. Self-correction might be a more appreciate way since it not only make students improve their response without embarrassment but also reduce their dependence on teachers.