Increasing Classroom Interaction

1. Increasing Classroom Interaction By Marina Leonova Vice – principal, English Teacher of “Secondary School with Intensive Learning of FL №4”

2. Objectives: • Consider the nature and importance of interaction. • Introduce the definitions of the learner autonomy. • Discuss the features of teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches. • Talk about benefits of learner-centeredness. • Give a definition and discuss the benefits of cooperative learning. • Introduce effective classroom interaction strategies, methodologies and techniques.

3. Learner Autonomy • The autonomous learner takes a (pro-) active role in the learning process, generating ideas and availing himself of learning opportunities, rather than simply reacting to various stimuli of the teacher (Boud, 1988; Kohonen, 1992; Knowles, 1975). • The autonomous learner is a self-activated maker of meaning, an active agent in his own learning process. He is not one to whom things merely happen; he is the one who, by his own volition, causes things to happen. Learning is seen as the result of his own self-initiated interaction with the world. Rathbone (1971: 100, 104, cited in Candy, 1991: 271)

4. Learner Autonomy There are seven main attributes characterising autonomous learners (see Omaggio, 1978, cited in Wenden, 1998: 41-42): • autonomous learners have insights into their learning styles and strategies; • take an active approach to the learning task at hand; • are willing to take risks, i.e., to communicate in the target language at all costs; • are good guessers; • attend to form as well as to content, that is, place importance on accuracy as well as appropriacy; • develop the target language into a separate reference system and are willing to revise and reject hypotheses and rules that do not apply; • have a tolerant and outgoing approach to the target language.

5. Features of Learner-Сentered Instruction: • Focus is on language use in typical situations (how students will use the language) • Students talk without constant instructor monitoring; instructor provides feedback/correction when questions arise. • Instructor models; students interact with instructor and one another. • Students work in pairs, in groups, or alone depending on the purpose of the activity. • Students answer each other’s questions, using instructor as an information resource. • Students evaluate their own learning; instructor also evaluates.

6. Student-centered teaching methods • active learning • cooperative learning • inductive teaching and learning

7. Learner-centered environments Inquiry Discovery Investigation Discussion Reflection Analysis Evaluation Hypothesis

8. What is collaborative learning? Collaborative learning is “a method that implies working in a group of two or more to achieve a common goal, while respecting each individual’s contribution to the whole” (McInnerney and Robert, 2004) What is cooperative learning? Cooperative learning is “working together to accomplish shared goals” (Smith, 1995)

9. Cooperative learning centers on three principles: • Simultaneous interaction: The more students talk with each other, the more they'll be engaged and the better they'll learn.  • Positive interdependence:The success of every team and every team member is not possible without the success and contribution of each member.  • Individual accountability: By taking responsibility for a specific portion of the project - and being graded for that - each student becomes individually accountable.

10. Possible Solutions Pre-teaching task language Providing support Varying the interaction Having different levels of task Providing a reason for interaction

11. Suggestions for Teaching with the Constructivist Learning Theory • Encourage and accept student autonomy and initiative. • Try to use raw data and primary sources, in addition to manipulative, interactive, and physical materials. • When assigning tasks to the students, use cognitive terminology such as "classify," "analyze," "predict," and "create." • Build off and use student responses when making "on-the-spot" decisions about teacher behaviors, instructional strategies, activities, and content to be taught. • Search out students' understanding and prior experiences about a concept before teaching it to them. • Encourage communication between the teacher and the students and also between the students. • Encourage student critical thinking and inquiry by asking them thoughtful, open-ended questions, and encourage them to ask questions to each other. • Ask follow up questions and seek elaboration after a student's initial response. • Put students in situations that might challenge their previous conceptions and that will create contradictions that will encourage discussion. • Make sure to wait long enough after posing a question so that the students have time to think about their answers and be able to respond thoughtfully. • Provide enough time for students to construct their own meaning when learning something new. (Ref: Brooks, J. and Brooks, M. (1993). In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, ASCD)

12. “I am not a teacher, only a fellow traveller of whom you asked the way”

13. Resources: • Rosenberg, R. (2004). Tools for Activating Materials and Tasks in the English Language Classroom. EnglishTeachingForum • Egel, I. (2009). "Learner autonomy in the language classroom: From teacher dependency to learner independency". Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. (1) 1: 2023-2026 • Snell, J. (1999). Improving teacher-student interaction in the EFL classroom: An action research report. TheInternet TESL Journal, V(4). • Thanasoulas, D. (2000). What is Learner Autonomy and How Can It Be Fostered? The Internet TESL Journal. (1) 11. • Mubarak Al-Tobi, Z. (n.d.). "Helping Teachers Increase Student Talking Time". pp 73-80.

14. Thank you very much!