Exploring Spoken Language and Communication in the Classroom

Every day, we use spoken language in order to communicate as well as to express our opinions on certain topics. The manner in which we communicate and use paralinguistic features varies according to the context of the situation. Moreover, spoken language is affected by our idiolect as well as our sociolect. We can relate these ideas to the setting of the school classroom. In a classroom, teachers primarily, use spoken language for bonding in order to establish or maintain personal relationships with students. In addition to that, teacher use spoken language to exchange information to develop students’ understanding and knowledge. Furthermore, teachers use spoken language for power in order to gain control over the classroom. Transcript A, B, C and D are detailed examples of how these concepts are adapted in the different classroom environments. However, there is evidence to support that the theories of spoken language can also be challenged.

One of the main purposes of a classroom setting and a teacher-student relationship is for the teacher to show their authority over students in order to maintain control of the classroom. This is evident in transcript A, where the teacher begins her lesson with a greeting; ‘come in’, ‘thank you’. Already, the teacher has established her power as she has told the students that they are allowed to come into the classroom. In addition to that, the sentence is a declarative statement therefore it would have been said with an assertive tone. Furthermore, the teacher is establishing a professional bond with the students as she has shown that she is superior. The teacher then goes on to give the students an explanation of the lesson plan; ‘we are going to be looking at some poetry’. The use of vocabul...

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... otherwise the object of classroom learning is defeated. Furthermore, people adapt their language in order to match the specific context of the situation, which is often done unintentionally. Students may use non fluency features such as fillers when they are answering questions as there may be a gap in their understanding which teachers are able to pick up on. In addition to that, teachers may adapt the manner in which they speak to change the impression they want to make. For example, teachers may speak with an assertive tone in order to show authority, as opposed to speaking in a more polite tone to build a positive relationship. It appears that it is mainly teachers who consider their language as they of more conscious of their speech than students, this could be because adults, in general, are more aware about the effect their speech can have on their audience.