Focus on Oral Interaction

Description

Referencing classroom-based research, Focus on Oral Interaction looks at the contribution of teacher-student interaction and peer-peer interaction in classrooms, among school-age English language learners.

Key areas covered include formulaic and creative language use, the different ways of scaffolding learning, the use of corrective feedback, the relationship between oral interaction and print literacy, as well as differences that learner aptitude and motivation make to language learning. Additional activities are provided to help teachers relate the content to their own teaching context.

• Spotlight Studies, highlighting important research on oral interaction in classrooms.
• Classroom Snapshots, featuring descriptions of teachers and students engaged in different approaches to teacher-student interaction and peer-peer interaction in classrooms.
• Activities which encourage comparison and reflection, helping you to relate research and theory on oral interaction to your own teaching context.

This book is part of the Oxford Key Concepts for the Language Classroom series, focusing on key topics for teaching English as a second or foreign language. These research-led instructional guides link the theories of second language acquisition and pedagogy with classroom practice, helping you to reflect on what needs to happen in the language classroom.

Reviews

• "While very much a part of classroom life, oral interaction tends to go unnoticed. Language teachers are not normally taught how to 'do' it based on classroom research. Oliver and Philp do an excellent job of addressing this gap and of demonstrating the enormous potential that oral interaction has for L2 language learning."
  - Rosemary Erlam, Senior Lecturer in Applied Language Studies and Linguistics, University of Auckland
• "This book belongs to the Oxford Key Concepts for the Language Classroom series, edited by the formidable duo Patsy Lightbown and Nina Spada... In particular, this volume shows the relevance to the practising teacher of research in second language acquisition, and its implications for oral interaction in the classroom... [The] activities are well designed to promote reflection and will be very useful for teacher educators to incorporate in their classes... [There] are simple but accurate accounts of contemporary research... Lots of useful practical suggestions are given as consequences of the research findings surveyed... It does an excellent job of introducing significant research findings and demonstrating their practical relevance..."
  - IATEFL Voices
• "The book provides genuine insights... [and] the book's aim to bridge research and practice is successfully achieved."
  - EL Gazette