Learner-learner interaction

• Theoretical part:

Introduction

1. Classroom interaction

1. Types of classroom interaction

1. Learner-content interaction
2. Teacher-learner interaction
3. Learner-learner interaction

1. Aspects of classroom interaction

2-1 Negotiation of meaning

2-2 Feedback

1. Pair and group work
2. Teacher’s and student’s roles

4-1 teacher’s roles

4-2 student’s roles

1. Interaction and second language acquisition
2. Approaches to language teaching

1. The communicative language teaching approach

2. Task-based approach

1.  Techniques to improve classroom interaction

• The practical part:

1. The methodology
2. Participants
3. Data collection
4. Results and discussions
5. Reflections and recommendations

Conclusion

References

Appendices

[pic 1]

To the entire humanity

To the our Supervisor Mrs BOUYA Hasna

To all the teachers and students of English Department

To our families and friends

To all those who love us

[pic 2]

Acknowledgments

We would like to give special thanks to “our supervisor”, Prof. BOUYA Hasna, for her continuous guidance, for her meticulous corrections, pertinent commentaries and permanent encouragement in the accomplishment of this work.

            We would also like to thank our colleagues for their attention and support. We would like to thank BOUYA Hasna for her advice and suggestions before the beginning of this dissertation. Many thanks are given to our parents and the rest of the family, to our friends, and our roommates for their constant encouragement and back up.

Introduction:

      In the non-English setting, it is very important for learners to interact and communicate using English which allow them to develop their knowledge and their oral fluency and accuracy, therefore classroom interaction is essential and useful as an educational strategy to increase learning. Interaction is a necessary condition for SLA because through verbal exchange and discussion between learners and teachers acquisition takes place. Learner-learner interaction is more effective and useful type of interaction to be applied in the classroom that allows creating a collaborative environment, enhancing the process of learning English as second language and makes students expose and express themselves openly.

         Firstly, in our research we will start with a brief view on classroom interaction, defining its types and essential aspects, where negotiation of meaning and the provision of feedback are highlighted. In addition to demonstrate the roles of both, teachers and students and the effectiveness of designing pairs and small groups to ensure a high level of interaction among students. Secondly, we will show the relationship between interaction and second language acquisition. Thirdly we will shed light on the main approaches to language teaching: communicative language teaching and task-based approaches. Finally we will deal with some of the techniques to improve classroom interaction.

Through the present research, we aim at investigating why there is a lack of interaction among students in Ibn Zohr University. The precise questions are:

Are students capable to integrate in classroom interaction? Is the methodology of teaching used by the teacher helps students to interact and involve in classroom discussion and tasks? Is the environment in which learners are studying facilitates the interaction among students and then the process of learning?

The theoretical part:

1. Classroom interaction:

         When we come to make a difference between interaction and interactivity, the concept of interaction is more confusing because it is interchanged with the term interactivity. According to Wagner interactivity “…appears to emerge from descriptions of technological capability for establishing connections from point to point (or from point to multiple points) in real time” (Wagner, 1997, p. 20). Therefore, it involves the technology used in learning. She identifies the notion of interaction as: “reciprocal events that require at least two objects and two actions. Interaction occurs when these objects and events naturally influence one another”(1994:8). Hence, interaction occurs only when there is a mutual influence through sending and receiving messages so as to accomplish communication.  

1. Types of interaction:

Thurmond (2003) defined interaction as:

“…the learner’s engagement with the course content, other learners, the instructor, and the technological medium used in the course. True interactions with other learners, the instructor, and the technology results in a reciprocal exchange of information. The exchange of information is intended to enhance knowledge development in the learning environment. Depending on the nature of the course content, the reciprocal exchange may be absent – such as in the case of paper printed content. Ultimately, the goal of interaction is to increase understanding of the course content or mastery of the defined goals”(p. 4).

         So we deduce from this quotation that there are four types of interaction: learner-content interaction, learner-learner interaction, teacher-learner interaction and learner-technology interaction. Moore (1989) gave a deep clarification for the first three types of interaction and they shall be our concern in this research.

1. Learner-content interaction:

        It is an essential part in the learning process to make learners interact with the course presented. Moore defined it as “the process of intellectually interacting with content that results in changes in the learner’s understanding, the learner’s perspective, or the cognitive structures of the learner’s mind” (1989, p. 2). That is to say, it is the technique by which student construct knowledge by interacting with the course materials. The content can take the form of text, audio or videotape, or online communication.

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