Interactional Modifications for Comprehensible Input: A Case Study of Two EFL Teachers

DOI

10.2991/assehr.k.200406.028How to use a DOI?

Keywords

interactional modification, comprehensible input, language learning opportunity, classroom interaction

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the use of interactional modifications proposed by Long (1983) by two English teachers and language learning opportunities obtained. The study found out the distribution and the form of interactional modification in two different levels of English proficiency, elementary and pre-intermediate. To answer the research questions, a case study was adopted. The main data were six transcribed classroom interactions of six sessions with audio-video recording. From the analysis, it was found that elementary teachers modified more interactions compared to pre-intermediate teachers due to less capability of the lower student to comprehend the information delivered. The form of interactional modification used was other-repetition strategy, where both of the teachers repeated student’s utterances frequently to clarify, confirm, or emphasize the initial utterances. Besides, the occurrences of interactional modifications were considered to be determined by several factors, such as the student’s level of proficiency, the material delivered, and the teacher’s knowledge. As for the question of language learning opportunities, the findings revealed by modifying the interaction gaps were noticing where the teacher noticed the mistakes of student’s language used by bringing that gap into awareness. Besides, modified interactions also gave the student the chance for meaning negotiation where the understanding of information was obtained through resolving the communication breakdown in the classroom.

Copyright

© 2020, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Naila Karima
AU  - Didi Suherdi
AU  - Fazri Nur Yusuf
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/04/09
TI  - Interactional Modifications for Comprehensible Input: A Case Study of Two EFL Teachers
BT  - Proceedings of the Twelfth Conference on Applied Linguistics (CONAPLIN 2019)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 138
EP  - 142
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200406.028
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.200406.028
ID  - Karima2020
ER  -