Abstract

The Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) talk sequence dominates whole-class talk in school lessons but frequently provides limited talk options for students. This article examines a variant of the sequence produced by young children and their teacher in an early years’ classroom. The multiple-response sequences were identified in classroom recordings of literacy lessons where a teacher deliberately sought to increase contributions by students during whole-class talk. Conversation analysis (CA) of selected sequences delineates some of the ways the teacher’s talk led to multiple turns by students, how teacher turns were sometimes inserted into multiple responses given by students, and how multiple responses were closed down by teacher turns. Discussion addresses the specific design of teacher turns across sequences, students’ orientations to the teacher during multiple responses, and the occurrence of trouble in turn-taking as an aspect of the multi-party setting. Overall, the study establishes some ways that talk in multiple-response sequences shows increased opportunities for students to contribute to instructional talk.

摘要

发起-响应-反馈（IRF）谈话序列在学校课程中主导全班谈话，但经常为学生提供有限的谈话选项。本文研究了幼儿及其老师在早年课堂上产生的序列的变体。在扫盲课程的课堂录音中确定了多种答案的顺序，在该录音中，老师在全班谈话中故意寻求增加学生的贡献。选定序列的会话分析（CA）描绘了教师的谈话导致学生多次转弯的某些方式，有时学生如何将教师转弯插入学生给出的多个答案以及教师转弯如何关闭多个答案。讨论内容涉及跨顺序的教师转弯的具体设计，学生在多次回答中对老师的定位，以及在多方环境中轮流出现麻烦。总体而言，该研究建立了多种回答方式的对话方式，显示出学生为教学对话做出贡献的更多机会。