Brown believes ‘The Da Vinci Code’ to be simply “an entertaining story that promotes spiritual and discussion debate” and see the book “as a positive catalyst for the introspection and exploration for our faith” Do you agree? Justify your answer.

Topic:  Brown believes ‘The Da Vinci Code’ to be simply “an entertaining story that promotes spiritual and discussion debate” and see the book “as a positive catalyst for the introspection and exploration for our faith” Do you agree? Justify your answer.

Name: Kinjal Patel

Paper Name: The New Literature

Paper No: 13

Roll No: 14

Semester: 4

Year: 2015

Submitted to: S.B.Gardi, Department of English Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji, Bhavnagar University. Gujarat, India

Gmail Address: patelkinjal.u21@gmail.com

                         

                                       



      



 

About Novel:

The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu after a murder in the Louvre Museum in Paris, when they become involved in a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to Mary Magdalene. The title of the novel refers, among other things, to the finding of the first murder victim in the Grand Gallery of the Louvre, naked and posed like Leonardo Da Vinci's famous drawing, the Vitruvian Man, with a cryptic message written beside his body and a pentagram drawn on his chest in his own blood. The Da Vinci Code provoked a popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and Mary Magdalene's role in the history of Christianity. The book has, however, been extensively denounced by many Christian denominations as an attack on the Roman Catholic Church, and consistently criticized for its historical and scientific inaccuracies. The novel nonetheless became a worldwide bestseller that sold 80 million copies as of 2009 and has been translated into 44 languages.

About Author:

Daniel "Dan" Brown (born June 22, 1964) is a renowned American author of thriller fiction who is best known for the 2003 bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour period, and feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories. His books have been translated into 52 languages, and as of 2012, sold over 200 million copies. Two of them, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, have been adapted into films.

Brown's novels that feature the lead character Robert Langdon also include historical themes and Christianity as motifs, and as a result, have generated controversy. Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian, though he is on a 'constant spiritual journey' himself, and says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."

Plot Summary:

Louvre curator and Priory of Sion Grand Master Jacques Saunière is fatally shot one night at the museum by an albino Catholic monk named Silas, who is working on behalf of someone he knows only as the Teacher, who wishes to discover the location of the "keystone", an item crucial to the search for the Holy Grail.

After Sauniere’s body is discovered in the pose of the Vitruvian Man, the police summon Harvard Professor Robert Langdon, who is in town on business. Police Captain Bezu Fache tells him that he was summoned to help the police decode the cryptic message Saunière left during the final minutes of his life. The message includes a Fibonacci sequence out of order.

Langdon explains to Fache that Saunière was a leading authority on the subject of goddess artwork and that the pentacle Saunière drew in his own blood represents an allusion to the goddess and not "devil worship", as Fache says.

A police cryptographer, Sophie Neveu, secretly explains to Langdon that she is Sauniere’s estranged granddaughter, and that Fache thinks Langdon is the murderer, because her grandfather's message said "PS Find Robert Langdon", which she says Fache had erased prior to Langdon's arrival. Neveu is troubled by memories of her grandfather's involvement in a secret pagan group.

However, she understands that her grandfather intended Langdon to decipher the code, which she and Langdon find leads them to a safe deposit box at the Paris branch of the Depository Bank of Zurich. Neveu and Langdon escape from the police and visit the bank. In the safe deposit box they find the keystone: a cryptex, a cylindrical, hand-held vault with five concentric, rotating dials labeled with letters. When these are lined up correctly, they unlock the device. If the cryptex is forced open, an enclosed vial of vinegar ruptures and dissolves the message inside the cryptex, which was written on papyrus. The box containing the cryptex contains clues to its password.

Langdon and Neveu take the keystone to the house of Langdon's friend, Sir Leigh Teabing, an expert on the Holy Grail. There, Teabing explains that the Grail is not a cup, but a tomb containing the bones of Mary Magdalene. The trio then flees the country on Teabing's private plane, on which they conclude that the proper combination of letters spell out Neveu's given name, "SOFIA." Opening the cryptex, they discover a smaller cryptex inside it, along with another riddle that ultimately leads the group to the tomb of Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey.

During the flight to Britain, Neveu reveals the source of her estrangement from her grandfather, ten years earlier. Arriving home unexpectedly from university, Neveu clandestinely witnesses a spring fertility rite conducted in the secret basement of her grandfather's country estate. From her hiding place, she is shocked to see her grandfather having sex with a woman at the center of a ritual attended by men and women who are wearing masks and chanting praise to the goddess. She flees the house and breaks off all contact with Saunière. Langdon explains that what she witnessed was an ancient ceremony known as Hieros gamos or "sacred marriage".

By the time they arrive at Westminster Abbey, Teabing is revealed to be the Teacher for whom Silas is working. Teabing wishes to use the Holy Grail, which he believes is a series of documents establishing that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and bore children, in order to ruin the Vatican. He compels Langdon at gunpoint to solve the second cryptex's password, which Langdon realizes is "APPLE." Langdon secretly opens the cryptex and removes its contents before destroying it in front of Teabing. Teabing is arrested by Fache, who by now knows that Langdon was innocent. Bishop Aringarosa, realizing that Silas has been used to murder innocent people, rushes to help the police find him. When the police find Silas hiding in an Opus Dei Center, he assumes that they are there to kill him, and he rushes out, accidentally shooting Bishop Aringarosa. Bishop Aringarosa survives but is informed that Silas was found dead later from a bullet wound.

The final message inside the second keystone leads Neveu and Langdon to Rosslyn Chapel, whose docent turns out to be Neveu's long-lost brother, whom Neveu had been told died as a child in the car accident that killed her parents. The guardian of Rosslyn Chapel, Marie Chauvel Saint Clair, is Neveu's long-lost grandmother. It is revealed that Neveu is a descendant of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. The Priory of Sion hid her identity to protect her from possible threats to her life.

The real meaning of the last message is that the Grail is buried beneath the small pyramid directly below the inverted glass pyramid of the Louvre. It also lies beneath the "Rose Line," an allusion to "Roslyn." Langdon figures out this final piece to the puzzle in the last pages of the book, but he does not appear inclined to tell anyone about this.

One of the most recent controversies that have graced television and the covers of newspapers is the topic of Dan Brown’s newest novel. The Da Vinci Code, what makes this book so controversial is that Brown weaves a story about a museum curator with a secret life, a historian and how the church has been on a bloody rampage for several years trying to cover up the “truth” about Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Dan Brown posts this disclaimer before the story starts:

“All descriptions of artwork, architecture documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate”

This statement forces us to see the novel with many contexts.  On one the hand the is a thriller dealing with murder mystery. The novel deals with religious aspects as it claims to reveal the secret of the Church. The novel divides the opinion of people. Some believe the details in the novel to be true as it depicts the institutes like Opus Dei.

There is a realistic picture of the heads of Church and people related to the Church involved in various activities. In the novel information regarding faith, knowledge, history, art, religion of Christianity and Paganism, fiction, facts mystery lead us to inevitable discussion and debate. The simple and entertaining story of the novel works as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration for our faith.

Setting, Language and Meaning:

The story is set in various historic and religious sites, such as the Temple Church on Fleet Street and Webminister Abbey. Because The Da Vinci Code is targeted toward the widest range of readership, the language follows the action, suspense, and thrill of the story in that it is fast paced and fall of dialogue among the characters. Brown uses quite a bit of symbolism in the story, most of it relates to the religious symbolism and artwork that provide the clues to solve the murder of Sauniere and the location of the Holy Grail.

Structure:

The Da Vinci Code is divided into 105 chapters with a prologue and an Epilogue. The structure of the book is such that, just about every time there is a scene change or the point of views changes, a new chapter begins.

Fact in Fiction:

The Da Vinci Code is striking in the way the fictional plot is woven into several other intriguing historical plots. References to actual historical figures such as Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Constantine the Great, and Leonardo Da Vinci have prompted scholars to write article and books responding to claims about them made by the fictional Sauniere, Langdon and Teabing.

Further, references to real organizations such as Opus Dei and the Vatican have inspired many readers to question Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular.

Through the novel follows it’s fictional characters during the course of only a few days, the  search for the answers to symbols, clues, and riddles Sauniere leaves behind is related to the search for answers to mysteries in the Bible as well as the history of the quest for the Holy Grail.

Mystery:

The major appeal to Brown’s novel is its construction of profound mysteries, both fictional and historical. It deploys one of the most conventional elements of the classic mystery genre only to dismiss it immediately: the novel begins with a murder but reveal the identity of the murderer in the second chapter. The central mysteries in the novel are the reasons behind Saunier’s murder and the possible organization involve of the meaning of various clues and readers he leaves behind and the truth about Sophie’s family. Equally important is the novel’s introduction to real historical mysteries. What role did Mary Magdalene play in Jesus’s life? What was the real role of Constantine in Shaping Christianity’s future? How credible are the Gnostic Gospels? What is the history of the priory of Sion and who were its members?

Historical context:

Though there is no explicit reference to the year in which it takes place, The Da Vinci Code is set time contemporaneous with its publication in 2003. The narrative refers to several recent events, from the construction of the New York headquarters of Opus Dei in 2000 to the scandalous public internment of Opus Dei member and FBI spy Robert Hanssen in April of 200t1. Brown’s continuous portrayal of Opus Dei appeared as the organization struggled to redeem its reputation after being accused by form member of using cultish techniques.

Brown’s historian Leigh Teabing brings out the second relevant historical event when he discusses the Council of Nicaea, a gathering called by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great to unite the government with the Catholic Church. During this meeting the Bible was officially canonized and Jesus’s divinity was made concrete. Teabing argues that Constantine the Great “collated” the Bible and suppressed the Gnostic gospels and that Jesus’s divinity was debated.

Brown’s theories are most convincing to those who see history as a conspiracy, not as a factual account of the past.

Critical Overview:

The Da Vinci Code debuted at number one on the New York Times best seller list, and generated high praise from many critics for its entertainment value. Reviewing the novel for the New York Times Janet Maslin declares; “In this gleefully erudite suspense novel, Mr. Brown takes the format he has been developing through three earlier novels and fine –tunes it to blockbuster proportion”.

The year after it was published some critics began analyzing the reasons behind it success. Writing for the New Statesman, Jason Cowley notes that the  novel brings out “ many of the most urgent political themes of our time- religious extremism, the idea that history itself is a vast conspiracy, the power of secret network societies over our lives , the global the reach of the internet , the omnipresence satellite surveillance and other new technologies “. More specifically, Cowley argues that “In the aftermath of the events of September 2001 and the invasion of Iraq, in a world where mysterious and opaque global network of religious terrorists called al-Queada threatens the west as well as, it is believed, commutating via encoded messages, “ the novel” carries a powerful political charge.”

Art:

Browns uses description of works of fine art to prove that art can tell stories that history tends to obscure. The these works of art include Da Vinci’s Last Supper, Madonna of the Rocks, and Mona Lisa which hide symbols of goddess worship and story of the Magdalene; the Church of Saint- Sulpice, which still contains an obelisk, a sign of pagan worship: and tarot cards, which hide themes of pagan mythology. These art objects are constantly viewed by people who see them without seeing hidden meanings.

Conclusion:

The novel is obviously fiction as a thriller that follows its protagonists through some extremely narrow escapes and ends. The novel suggests that widely accepted histories are simply works constructed by those in power has motivated historians to critique its liberal interpretations of the past. Its portrayal of religious fanaticism plays into reader’s fear of spiritual politics, especially in the wake of recent terrorist acts committed by religious fundamentalists.

“Everyone loves a conspiracy”, writes Brown very few books 

have enjoyed the commercial success that is enjoyed the com by 

“The Da Vinci Code’. The novel has something for everyone, and too much for many of us. The novel deals with a fast- moving  murder story, puzzles, riddles, and anagrams, art, historical, mysteries and multiple conspiracy theories, on his website Brown notes:

“White it is my belief that the theories discussed by these characters have merit, each individual reader’s viewpoints and come to his or her own interpretations. My hope in writing this novel was that the story would serve as a catalyst and a springboard for people to discuss the important topics of faith, religion, and history.”

Thus we can say that Brown believes- “The Da Vinci Code” is simply an entertaining story that promotes spiritual and discussion debate and see the book as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration for our faith.

References:

  www.wikipedia.com

2.   www.bookrags.com

3.   www.sparknotes.com

4.   Study material

Classroom Interaction

Topic: Classroom Interaction

Name: Patel Kinjal

Paper Name: English Language Teaching - 1

Paper No: 12

Roll No: 14

STD: M.A 2

SEM: 3

Submitted to: Department of English Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji   Bhavnagar University

Introduction

The term classroom interaction refers to the interaction between the teacher and learners, and amongst the learners, in the classroom. Earlier studies of second language classroom interaction focused on the language used by the teacher and learners the interaction generated, and their effect on L2 learning. More recent studies have begun to investigate the underlying factors which shape interaction in the classroom – e.g. teacher and learner beliefs, social and cultural background of the teacher and learners, and the psychological aspects of second and foreign language learning – providing further insights into the complexities of classroom interaction.

In olden days, the classroom was occupied by the teacher. The teacher acted as the head of the classroom. The teacher dictated the class. The teacher played the major role in the classroom interaction. The teacher spoke most of the time. The student were mere  listeners. The students  had very small role to play. They simply answered when asked. This way the teaching learning process became monotonous. The students were scared of asking. They did not actively participate in the classroom studying.

The late 19^th century brought the change in the classroom scenario. The role of students became more important. Many classroom interaction activities were designed. New ways were introduced for the students’s active participation while learning second language. Students are facilitating where necessary now. The students are given various tasks to solve. The students take their own time in completing the task. Previous classroom teaching forced the learner to finish the boring task in the class at a time but various task based activities encourage them in taking part.

Definition:

Classroom Interaction is a practice that enhances the development of the two very important language skills which are speaking and listening among the learners.

This device helps the learner to be competent enough to think critically and share their views among their peers.

Classroom interaction and learning:

This theme addresses the climate of communication between the instructor and students in class. Lessons where students have multiple opportunities to communicate with the teacher are essential for the effective construction of student knowledge. By welcoming curiosity and encouraging students to raise their own questions about the content or claims being discussed, the instructor can guide students to develop habits of mind for framing and answering questions. When an instructor creates a climate of respect in the classroom and encourages students to generate their own ideas involving scientific ways of thinking, students are more likely to think deeply and persist in the face of challenges (AAAS, 1989; Weinstein et al., 2006). The Pedagogy in Action module on Interactive Lectures can provide guidance for drawing students into the lecture by engaging them in working with the material.

Characteristics of classroom interaction:

Classes with an emphasis on lecture are effective for delivering large volumes of content in limited time but provide few opportunities for student-instructor interaction. While this teaching method may appeal to a few highly motivated students, it can often leave much of the class disengaged from the content. Such classes are often characterized by instructors who take the first shout-out answers to questions (often from the same few students) or answer their own questions too quickly.

In contrast, more student-centered classes provide adequate time during activities for students to think about concepts, receive feedback, and/or participate in discussions that may guide the direction of the lesson. Some activities may allow students freedom to engage in their own learning (e.g., online search for relevant information) and/or may involve the students using the instructor as a resource to provide information as needed. This "guide-on-the-side" model is indicative of highly reformed, student-centered classrooms. 

Structuring of classroom:

·         Contains activities where the instructor can receive student feedback to determine if there is a need to adapt the direction of the lesson.

·         Have multiple opportunities for interaction between the instructor, individual students, small student groups, and the whole class.

·         Capitalizes on the diversity of student experiences to generate alternative solutions to (open-ended) problems and to explore student ideas within the context of the lesson.

·         Includes sufficient time to have meaningful discussions around student activities and arrive at fully realized responses.

Clues for improving classroom interaction:

·         I want to use specific teaching strategies so that I can adapt the lesson on the basis of student feedback.

o    To achieve this goal, it is necessary to provide opportunities to hear student voices and act on ideas originating with the students. 

o    Immediate low stakes, formative assessment of concepts can be readily achieved using ConcepTests, conceptual multiple-choice questions about themes from the lesson mingled with peer instruction. The use of clickers can facilitate this technique.

o    More detailed feedback that will be sufficient to shift the direction of the lesson to meet key student learning needs will often require open-ended questions that allow students to identify what they already know and where the instructor can best invest time and resources. Techniques such as cooperative learning or gallery walks may support this approach.

·         I want to capitalize on the diversity of student experiences to generate alternative solutions to problems and/or encourage different ways of interpreting evidence.

o    The more structured and organized a task, the less opportunity there is for students to bring their experience and creativity to bear on finding a solution. Activities that provide the problem, procedures the students should follow, and type of analysis to be conducted leave little room for the students to contribute original thought. Consider adapting open-ended questions where the problem is presented but some combination of procedures, method of analysis, and/or communication of results are left for the students to design.

o    Exercises such as structured academic controversies may provide a model for this type of cooperative learning strategy in which small teams of students learn about a controversial issue from multiple perspectives and attempt to come to consensus. Alternatively, case studies may provide a mechanism for encouraging creative solutions that synthesize content.

o    In these more student-centered learning environments, instructors can serve as resource persons, navigating the room to keep groups on task and provide assistance in guiding discussion. 

·         I want to provide sufficient time to have meaningful discussions around student activities and arrive at fully realized responses.

o    It is necessary to provide sufficient time for students to process class information and transfer it to new problems. Such efforts ensure that learning is happening during class. One simple method to begin this process is to provide structured breaks for students to be reflective in their response to questions. Whether using techniques such as Concept Tests or think-pair-share, indicate how long students have to work before requiring an answer (30 seconds to a few minutes).

o    Longer activities will typically allow for greater student creativity and encourage synthesis of more concepts. Building these activities into a traditional lecture class will require some lesson redesign. For example, some material may simply be omitted; other items may be shifted to pre-class readings or post-class homework.

Objective

·         To help the learners to identify their own learning methods.

·         To guide the learners to communicate with their peers easily.

·         To help the learner to come face to face with the various types of interaction.

·         To aim at meaningful communication among the students in their target language.

·         To aim at probing into the learner’s prior learning ability and his way of conceptualizing facts and ideas.

·         To help the teacher to have a detailed study of the nature and the frequently of student interaction inside the classroom.

Interaction:

Types of classroom Interaction:

·         Collaborative Learning

·         Discussions and Debates

·         Interactive sessions

·         Loud Reading

·         Story – telling

·         Soliloquies

·         Conversation with learners

·         Role play

Two major types of talk in EFL:

·         The teacher’s usually in the form of a question, or a request to practice a structure.

The second language learners:

·         Usually a straight answer to the question posed by the teacher or a drill – type operation.

Real interaction:

Interaction happens when the L2:

·         Direct the dialogue at one another

·         Disagree with or challenge

·         Don’t have to be invited to speak

·         Speak when there is a short silence

·         Comment immediately interrupt one another

·         Use para linguistic

·         Are relaxed as possible

Use the personal pounces “I” and ‘you’.

Session objectives:

In this module we will

·         Consider the nature and  importance of interaction in the languages classroom

·         Consider a framework for exploring interaction in practice

·         Reflect on how interaction for languages teaching and learning can be enhanced in your owe context and practice.

Before setting the framework of classroom interaction nature and importance should be investigated. The types of interaction practice are suitable or not could be sorted out before moving ahead. The selected exercises are selected in order to benefit classroom interaction. Now before moving ahead let’s see

Nature of interaction:

·         Aspects of the Language pedagogy standard specifically addressed in the module are

·         (To) create a culture of learning… which fosters interests in languages and cultures and encourage learners to accept responsibility for their own learning?

·         

(use)… a range of methodologies for languages and culture teaching and in their practice select from these in a principled way, taking into consideration the learners, the learning context, curriculum goals, and the aspect of language being taught.

  

An atmosphere enhancing the learning is created keeping a particular culture in mind. The students are attracted to learn the language on their own. The goals are set up in such a way that students take their own responsibility of learning the second language in classroom interaction. For this purpose range of approaches and methods are considered according to the targeted goals and aspects.

Importance of classroom:

Studies conducted on classroom interaction have shown that student talk accounts for an average of less than 30 percent of talk in ‘teacher fronted’ classrooms. Yet studies on language and learning have shown that children not only learn to talk but they also talk to learn.

This can be seen from the fact that children are persistent questioners; it is by asking questions that they explore and learn about the world around them. However, studies have shown that the number of questions asked by children drops significantly as soon as they enter school. Now, after discussing importance of talk and interaction we will see its importance.

                                    Tsui – 1995

The importance of classroom talk and interaction:

The importance of classroom talk and interaction:

Let’s reflect on the following questions in relation to the classroom.

·         

What kinds of interactions are typically found in our classroom?

·         What are the purposes for different types of interaction?

·         What kinds of participation are best for student learning?

·         Is it important that all students participate?

·         What is the nature and frequency of student questioning in our classroom?

·         How does identity affect interactions in our classroom?

·         Why is interaction in our classroom the way that it is?

Considering interaction in practice now, we shall see who participants are:

·         Teacher – class

·         Teacher – student

·         Student – student

·         Other , including members of the target language speaking community

Resources:

·         Teacher – students

·         Text book, text, technologies, tasks

Considering interaction in practice now let’s see the types of interaction.

 

Goals of classroom interaction are to

·         Promote meaningful communication in the target language

·         Provide a meta  language for talking about language and culture

·        

Engage learners with concepts and process for language and culture learning

·         

Probe learner’s prior learning and interpretations of new concepts about language and culture.

·         

Engage learners with texts and resources that reflect language and culture in context

·         

Engage learners in task that  deepen their experience and understanding of the target language and culture

If the goals of classroom interaction are fulfilled the learners will be able to deal with the language easily in the atmosphere other than the native or regional atmosphere.

Recent studies have paid more attention to learner talk, examining not only to the teacher, but also their communication strategies, and the relation between task types, learner and opportunities for negotiation of meaning. The study of language and interaction in the classroom is not peculiar to L2 classrooms. In the 1960s educationist in the UK emphasized the importance of language across the curriculum. The below given points highlight the language use in classroom.

Language use in classroom interaction:

Language classroom have at least two languages for use

·         Need to consider the nature, timing and frequency of target language use in the classroom

·         Use of English / first language provides a basic for deeper cognitive engagement at times

·         Hybrid forms can support target language use

An important dimension of classroom interaction is teacher questions, which has received attention in both ‘L’ and L2 classroom studies.

When teachers fail to elicit any response from the learners, they often need to modify their questions. Long and Sato (1983) identified a number of modification device used by teachers including syntactic modifications and semantic modifications.

Examining the role of the teacher in interaction:

Some features of the teacher’s role

·      

   Creating a learning culture/ environment

·         Eliciting learner interpretations

·         Building on learner contributions

·         Negotiating meaning

·         

Providing feedback and promoting refection

It was found through various researches that compared to teacher fronted interaction in whole class- work, both pair work and group work provide more opportunities for learners to initiate and control interaction. Hence, tasks involving small number of participants are believed to facilitate better SLA.

A major concern of L2 teachers is how to generate rich and meaningful interaction in the classroom which will facilitate SLA. Many teachers find it difficult to engage students in interaction especially in teacher fronted settings. When students fail to respond it may be because the questions were too complex inappropriately phrased or contained difficult vocabulary items. After discussing teacher’s role now let’s move to reflection and investigations.

Reflection and investigations:

“… Teachers must be mindful of their instructional goal and prepare questions with those in mind. Adequate preparations ahead will also reduce the amount of in class ‘trial and error’ time. That’s is to say, the less trying to figure out what they are doing as they are doing it, the more time there will be for teachers and students to be engaged in actual learning.”

                            

                                            …Hall 2001

Reflecting on our practice

In study of teacher’s action research it was found that excessive lengthening of wait time exacerbated anxiety amongst students. To alleviate L2 learning anxiety, from which many learners suffer, the teacher can provide opportunities for learners to rehearse their responses to a teacher’s question by comparing the patterns with the group and so on.

·        

Consider how the notion of ‘interaction’ may be of benefit in our own teaching?

·         Are there any particular issues for languages and cultures teaching in terms of interaction?

What further questions do we have about?

·         Interaction I the languages classroom

·         Interaction in our own classroom?

The way a teacher allocates turns in the classroom can also affect student’s classroom interaction. In classrooms where interaction is highly controlled by the teacher, as in many Asian classrooms, patterns of turn- allocation is an important factor. The teacher needs to be sensitive to the psychological state of the students and to be supportive and appreciative of any effort made by the students to learn the target language. Only then teacher would be able to generate meaningful and enjoyable learning.

Conclusion

Classroom interaction research started off with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of teaching methodologies and the behaviors of effective teachers. Such investigations revealed that classroom processes are extremely complex and research focus soon shifted from prescription to description, from evaluation to awareness- rising.

Reference:

www.slideshare.net

student-instruction classroom interaction

Mrs.yaowarin dowsakul

www.pspl.unisa.edu.au