Rethinking the Teacher-dominant IRE/IRF Sequences as a Resource for EFL Speaking Classes

Rethinking the Teacher-dominant IRE/IRF Sequences as a Resource for EFL Speaking Classes

The purpose of this study is to investigate how teacher-dominant interactions open possibilities for low-intermediate university students' learning in speaking classes. The traditional body of research and the current updated research on the IRF sequence report on the lack of student participation, limited use of authentic language, inflexibility, and over-reliance on teacher feedback when Sinclair and Coulthard’s (1975) interaction initiation-response-teacher evaluation or feedback (hereafter, IRE/ IRF) is one of the dominant forms of class interaction. A case study research design was implemented to learn about how two professors’ dominant interactions relate to students’ learning and meet the goals of their speaking class objectives. Four weeks (36 hours) of six speaking classes taught by two native English-speaking professors have been observed and video- recorded. The recurrent patterns of IRE/IRF have been documented and documented in the context of their learning objectives. The findings showed that teachers can teach the use of authentic language and encourage students’ participation by strictly following the IRE/IRF sequences. The IRE/IRF sequences were useful when the teacher’s initiation was meaning-oriented and when requiring students’ output for fluency practices. The teacher feedback functioned as positive feedback, increasing students’ accurate understanding of their tasks and authenticating their language use better. Educational implications were discussed. (204 words)