One distinguishing feature of language classrooms is that language is usually both the goal of the lesson and the means by which this goal is achieved. The teacher has a number of competing concerns. For example, the teacher plans activities designed to facilitate the learners' acquisition and use of the target language. At the same time, however, the teacher uses the target language as the principal means for giving instructions and directions, modeling target language patterns, and giving feedback on student performance. The students likewise learn language both in order to negotiate classroom interaction with the teacher and other students, and to complete the demands of classroom work. This chapter focuses on the linguistic dimensions of these processes and their effects on the kind of language use that occurs in second and foreign language classrooms. The chapter examines in particular (1) how teachers modify their language, (2) how teachers use questions, (3) how teachers give feedback, and (4) the language of classroom interaction, including the language students use when completing activities.

How teachers modify their language

A major portion of class time in teaching is taken up by teachers talking in front of the class (see Chapter 7). No matter what teaching strategies or methods a teacher uses, it is necessary to give directions, explain activities, clarify the procedures students should use on an activity, and check students' understanding.