Abstract:
This study aims at empirically measuring a universal criterion for materials
evaluation, i.e., learning opportunities, in a locally- and a globally-designed
materials. Adopting the conceptual framework of sociocultural theory and
its conceptualization of learning as participation (Donato, 2000), the
researchers utilized the methodological power of conversation analysis to
examine how opportunities for learner participation and, by extension,
learning are created whilst the materials are being used. Thirty teachers’
naturally-occurring classroom interactions, evolving from the two types of
materials, was videotaped and transcribed line-by-line to identify the
interactional contexts in which learner participation opportunities are
embedded. Four interactional contexts affording different levels of learner
interactional space were prompted by both types of materials. Examining
the distribution of contexts revealed that management-oriented and formoriented
contexts were sustained significantly longer in classes with the
locally-designed material. The globally-designed material, however, tended
to unfold significantly longer skill-oriented and meaning-oriented contexts
suggesting higher levels of built-in learner participation potential. The
findings of this study raise materials developers’ awareness, especially in
periphery communities, about how materials can either marginalize or
empower learners in classroom interaction.
Machine summary:
The globally-designed material, however, tended to unfold significantly longer skill-oriented and meaning-oriented contexts suggesting higher levels of built-in learner participation potential.
Keywords: conversation analysis, interactional contexts, learnerparticipation, materials evaluation, sociocultural theory Received: 06/07/2016 Accepted: 28/12/2016 Corresponding author "The core resources that teachers and learners depend on" (Richards, 2010, p.
Opportunities for participation and, by extension, learning are socially and collaboratively constructed (Lantolf, 2000) by teachers and learners in turn-taking sequences in relation to certain pedagogic goals (van Lier, 2000; Walsh, 2006).
In this respect, this study aims at identifying the interactional contexts, in which participation opportunities are embedded, that emerge from putting ELT materials in use by pursuing the CA-for-SLA enterprise (Markee & Kasper, 2004).
Using conversation analytic findings along with quantitative procedures, it investigates the distribution of the identified contexts between one globally- and one locally-designed materials to examine whether these materials differ in terms of providing learners with opportunities for participation and, by extension, learning.
On the one hand, there are universal criteria that originate from theories and principles of language learning and teaching and "can be used to evaluate materials for any learner anywhere" (Tomlinson, 2012, p.
Therefore, this study aims to examine whether locally- and globally- designed materials being used in Iran differ in their structuring and distribution of interactional contexts or, more precisely, learner participation opportunities.
However, the teacher’s interactional practices of implementing wait-time (Rowe, 1974; Yaqubi & Pourhaji, 2012) after L2’s response and the lengthening the vowel sound of the word ‘well’ in turn 417 renders the second pair part as a dispreferred contribution (Schegloff, 2007) in need of further clarification and expansion.