Conversation Analysis (CA) in Primary School Classrooms

Abstract

Although CA deals with all kinds of talk produced in natural contexts, this study focuses its interest on the talk produced in some primary school classrooms. It attempts to develop the construct that CA should move significantly ahead to more practical grounds where its detailed and isolated description causes some effect in improving foreign language teaching, for example. It might be used, for instance, to promote professional development in Colombia. It plans to involve pre-service teachers initially and in-service ones later. The kind of interaction promoted by trainee teachers shows a very restricted possibility for young learners to use the language meaningfully in the classroom. Four stages are defined and suggested as a path to follow with pre-service teachers at Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia –UPTC– in the Foreign Language Programme - FLP.

Keywords

• Classroom interaction
• conversation analysis
• primary school classrooms