Understanding Communication in Second Language Classrooms

An integrated view of communication in second language classrooms that acknowledges the importance of what teachers and students bring to the class environment.

Drawing on actual classroom transcripts from a range of instructional settings, Johnson constructs a conceptual framework through which teachers can recognize how patterns of classroom communication are established and maintained, how these patterns affect students' participation in classroom events, and how their participation shapes the ways they use language for learning and their opportunities for second language acquisition. Relevant research is presented from the areas of classroom discourse, language in communities, teacher cognition, classroom learning, and second language acquisition.

• Focuses on communication as the central feature in teaching and learning in second language classrooms
• Provides conceptual framework for understanding the dynamics of classroom communication
• Illustrates ways of establishing effective patterns of classroom communication that will promote students' learning