Dialogue in the Language Classroom : Theory and Practice from a Classroom Discourse Analysis

By providing a contemporary understanding of theories on classroom dialogue through a sociocultural lens, Sybing offers innovative ways to observe and foster more engaged interaction between teacher and student, particularly in language learning contexts.

How teachers interact with students has a profound impact on learning outcomes and learner development yet remains a topic that requires more attention in language education. As research and practice in all education domains shift toward more dialogic approaches to the co-construction of knowledge, language education can also benefit from a more comprehensive approach to classroom dialogue that is relevant to interaction with language learners. This book provides a foundational understanding of theories of classroom dialogue relevant to language classroom contexts, which will guide an analysis of teacher–student interactions taken from observations of a language classroom in order to propose a framework for language classroom dialogue for theory and practice.

Researchers and practitioners in language education will benefit from a comprehensive overview of discussion of and contemporary research in classroom interaction, sociocultural theory, and intercultural communication. This book offers useful guidance to scholars where such discussions are especially useful for addressing issues of native-speakerism and language ownership.