VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES
***************** LÊ THANH HOA TEACHER TALK AT LY TU TAN HIGH SCHOOL,
HANOI AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE
CLASSROOM INTERACTIONS

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VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES
***************** LÊ THANH HOA TEACHER TALK AT LY TU TAN HIGH SCHOOL,
HANOI AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE
CLASSROOM INTERACTIONS

(VIÊ
̣
C SƯ
̉
DU
̣
NG NGÔN NGƯ
̃
CU
̉
A GIA
́
O VIÊN TA
̣
I TRƯƠ
̀


ABBREVIATIONS

CLT = Communicative Language Teaching
EFL = English as a Foreign Language
FLT = Foreign Language Teaching
IRF = Initiation/Response/Follow-up
T1: Teacher 1
T2: Teacher 2
T3: Teacher 3
TTT = Teacher Talk Time
STT = Student Talk Time iv

LIST OF TABLES
Page

Abstract ii
Abbreviations iii
Lists of tables and charts iv

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
I. Rationale of the study 1
II. Purpose of the study 2
III. Scope of the study 3
IV. Method of the study 3
V. Significance of the study 3
VI. Organization of the study 4

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT 5
CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW 5
1.1. The
oretical background of classroom research 5
1.1.1. Interactions in EFL classes 5
1.1.2. The structure of classroom discourse 6
1.2. Theoretical background of Teacher Talk 7
1.2.1. Definition of teacher talk 7
1.2.2. Role of teacher talk 8
1.2.3. Framework of teacher talk 8
1.2.4. Amount of teacher talk 12
1.2.5. Features of teacher talk 13
1.3. Summary 15 CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY 16
2.1. Setting of the study 16
vi


References………………………………………………………………………………I
Appendices IV
1

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
I. Rationale of the study
Language teaching is a complex process involving many interrelated factors. Larsen-
Freeman (2000) points out: language teaching can be summarized into three fields:
language learner/learning (How to learn); language/culture (What to Learn);
teacher/teaching (How to teach). Since the 1960s, the research on classroom discourse has
grown rapidly. Before that, teaching methodology has been explored and an effective
teaching method is tried to be found. Since teaching methods don‟t play a decisive role in
language classrooms (Long, 1981a), the focus has shifted from teaching methods to
teacher talk in classroom process. Just as Ellis (1985:143) points out: “Classroom process
research, as Gaies calls the study of communication in the classroom, has taken a different
form. The earliest was interaction analysis … An alternative approach focused only on the
language used by the teacher when addressing second language learners. It sought to
tabulate the adjustments which occur in teacher talk. ”
Teacher talk is an indispensable part of foreign language teaching in organizing activities,
and the way teachers talk not only determines how well they make their lectures, but also
guarantees how well students will learn (Cook, 2000: 144). According to pedagogical
theory (Cook, 2000; Chaudron, 1988; Zhao, 1998), the language that teachers use in
classrooms determines to a larger degree whether a class will succeed or not. In English
classrooms, teachers‟ language is not only the object of the course, but also the medium to
achieve the teaching objective. Both the organization of the classroom and the goal of
teaching are achieved through teacher talk. Appropriate teacher talk can create harmonious

The study aims at answering the following research questions:
1. What is the amount of teacher talk time (TTT) of the total class time in English classes at
Ly Tu Tan High School?
2. What are the ways of teacher talk preferred respectively by teachers and students?
3. What should be done to improve classroom interactions? 3

III. Scope of the study
Teacher talk is such a broad and interesting theme that it requires the work of generations
of scholars and researchers if it is to be thoroughly investigated. Therefore, within the
framework of this paper, the researcher has no ambition of touching upon all aspects of
this fascinating segment of FLT. In this thesis, an attempt was made to study teacher talk
in speaking classes, especially a speaking period of Unit 15: CITIES in the English 10
textbook to investigate the amount of teacher talk in the process of interactions between
teachers and students and to discuss ways of teacher talk in initiating an interaction and
following up a student‟s response preferred respectively by English teachers and 10
th
-form
students at Ly Tu Tan High School.
IV. Method of the study
Both quantitative and qualitative methods are employed to carry out the study. That is, the
data serving analysis and discussion were collected by means of:
- Reviewing the related document on interactions in language classes, structure of
classroom discourse, amount of teacher talk and features of teacher talk.
- Observing classrooms and audio-recording
- Conducting questionnaires
V. Significance of the study
Teacher talk has always been given a significant position in language teaching. 5

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1. Theoretical background of classroom research
1.1.1. Interactions in EFL classes
It is acknowledged that the FL classroom differs from other subject classrooms in that the
target language is both what is being taught and the means by which it is being taught
(Allwright & Bailey, 1991). Taking the language as the learning target, competent learners
are expected not only to be good at the linguistic knowledge, but also to be competent in
language use, which requires adequate exposure to the language. “In situations where the
target language is seldom used outside the classroom, the students exposure to the target
language is therefore mainly in the classroom” (Tsui, 1995:12). It is, therefore, crucial to
have a communicative FL classroom.
A common theme underlying different methods of language teaching is that second
language learning is a highly interactive process (Richards & Lockhart, 1994: 138). In
language classroom settings, the teacher-learner interactive pattern is the most traditional
pattern. In this pattern of interaction, the teacher plays the role of an expert, providing
learners with direction and doing most of the talking and commenting (Lemke, 1990). In
consequence, such communication in the classroom influences students‟ perception of and
participation in classroom activities (Farrell, 2002). Through their interactions with each
other, the teacher and students construct a common body of knowledge. They also create
mutual understandings of their roles and relationships, the norms and expectations of their
involvement as members in their classrooms.
Malamah-Thomas (1987) points out that classroom interaction is not a one-way action and

teacher to lead students in carefully designed direction and progression, to provide students
with immediate feedback on their performances and to maintain an orderly lesson.
However, IRF sequence is not without its criticism. It is thought to limit meaningful
student participation because teachers have the rights to initiate speech, to distribute turns
and evaluate students‟ utterances, whereas students have much more restricted
participation rights, opportunities to ask questions and negotiate meaning (Cullen, 2002;
McCarthy, 1991).