Linguistic and communicative aspects of classroom discourse in first-year accelerated German classes: A process-product investigation
Abstract
The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the classroom discourse in four first-year accelerated German classes and to relate these findings to achievement measures administered at the end of the semester. The study focused on instructor discourse, degree of target language use as well as the percentage of German used for form and content-oriented language. Taught by four different instructors, four classes of a first-year accelerated course were recorded twice a week for the duration of the fifteen week semester. Ninety-two audio-recordings were obtained and analyzed using a time interval-based observation instrument. For each ten-second interval, the observer recorded the dominant speech event of that period. Quantification of classroom discourse showed that on the average German was spoken in class 61 percent of the time and English 39 percent. The distinction between form and function-oriented phases resulted in higher use of the form function by three-fourths of the instructors. In all cases, student discourse was more form than function-focused, a phenomenon to be expected in a beginning-level course with some emphasis on structure. The instructor with the highest percentage of German in class also showed the highest amount of form-oriented discourse. Qualitative analysis of the recordings suggests that form and function-oriented activities were frequently combined. Three fourths of the instructors consistently provided high levels of input. The amount of student discourse in German approached that of the instructor in three of the classes. Recommendations include an increase of content-focused target language input and error correction at the end of an idea unit. While a high level of form-focused phases is indispensable in a beginning foreign language class, it is suggested that linguistic discourse phases be integrated to a greater extent with contextualized communicative activities where students have the opportunity to express ideas, feelings and wishes in the target language.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Wipf, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Curricula|Teaching|Communication|Language arts
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