Word searches: on the use of verbal and non‐verbal resources during classroom talk

Abstract

Word finding difficulties in children are typically characterized by search behaviours such as silence, circumlocution, repetition, and empty words. Yet, how children's word searches are constructed (including gesture, gaze, and prosody) and the actions accomplished during interaction have not yet been researched. In this study, 8-year-old Ciara is interacting with her teacher in the classroom. Thirty-seven segments containing word searches were analysed according to the procedures used by conversation analysts. Ciara's interactional resources include co-ordinated deployment of syntax, pitch height, and downward gaze during solitary searching that assist the enterprise of self-repair. Gaze shift towards the teacher signals a transition relevance place, thus constituting a direct invitation for her to participate in the search. Ciara's interactional resources include semantic category labelling, phonological self-cuing, and pronominal substitution that supply valuable linguistic information to the teacher and trigger production of the searched-for item. Recommendations for language teaching and therapy are presented.

Scaffolding learning for independence: Clarifying teacher and teaching assistant roles for children with special educational needs

“…First, the repair role requires the teacher and the TA to be able to identify when children are in difficulty, either because they do not know the answer to a question, cannot find a word, are not familiar with a learning strategy or need time to process the adult's language (Radford, 2009;Radford, 2010a). Next, adults must have a full grasp of the consequences of outright correction ('giving the answer') on closing down the student's thinking and involvement (Radford et al, 2011 Secondly, the support role is especially important because it includes features associated with how to keep children on task, motivated and with reduced frustration.…”

“…Repairs are therefore frequent because children who present with any kind of learning challenge require a response from the teacher or TA in the next turn. For example, in the case of off-task behaviour, an OIR in the form of a prompt could be used to re-direct the child back to the task; in the case of searching for a word, an OIR such as a clue or hint could encourage the child to find the word for themselves (Radford, 2009). Repair turns are very important for learning because, consistent with socio-cultural theory, they potentially 'roam' in the child's zone of proximal development, both cognitively and linguistically (Radford et al, 2006).…”

18. Helping language learning in inclusive classrooms

“…During classroom discourse, such children may have difficulty in answering the teacher or TA's questions and in initiating dialogue with adults and peers. A typical exchange might include silences, search behaviours such as 'uhh' and dysfluencies (Radford 2009). Recalling the dialogic principle of purposeful, it is important that all members of classroom staff are equipped with planned responses to support these children's interactions.…”

Aprendiendo el arte marcial indio del kalarippayattu: ecologías inciertas de género, clase, cultura y etnicidad

“…Se ha escrito mucho sobre las diferencias interculturales en comunicación directa e indirecta, así como sobre el uso variado del habla y del silencio, tanto en la enseñanza como en el aprendizaje (véase por ejemplo Radford, 2009;Stahl, 1994;Tincani & Crozier, 2007). También ha existido cierta atención académica centrada en las diferencias interculturales en el contacto visual y cómo afecta esto a la enseñanza y al aprendizaje (Chiang, 1994;Pitton, Warring, Frank & Hunter, 1994).…”