The recording of my student from week 2 has hung over me and my classes since, specifically Walsh's obstructive/constructive continuum. For the students that have to deal with foreign business people, how many natural responses should I use? While this is demonstrating real world interactions, it also tends to stop the student talking. The push-and-pull of the need for STT and the need for them to understand real English language speaking culture has made classes extremely confusing for me.
My wait time has certainly improved as I avoid interruption unless they verbally/non-verbally ask for help.
As for Xie... My position as "Lord of the Classroom" has affected the IRF/mono/dialogic for sure. Any vocab struggle is mostly passed to me for scaffolding. While scaffolding isn't exactly the Darth-Vader-neck-pinch of classroom interaction, the student(s) do seem over-reliant on me... like Darth Vader and his helmet. Whether I've intentionally or unintentionally established myself as such, or whether Korean culture automatically put me there would require analysis of 6 years of classroom recordings, but I may focus on this in my assignment.
One thing I have noticed is that having a camera/recorder in the room alters behaviour, both of the student and the teacher. No matter how much I stress that the recording is not going public and is for my own professional progress, there's still a noticeable change in how careful they are when they speak. A way round this would be secret recording, which throws up the kinds of moral questions that would have Johnston's publisher screaming for a sequel.
In your position, I might indeed stick a cheapo vocie recorder where the student can't see it..
ReplyDeleteAlso -- not to clear yet on the issue you try to address in paragraph 1. As for 'Lord of the classroom' -- no need to spend 6 years analyzing -- the fact is that it is there, and the need is to negotiate a cultural shift for you and the student...THROUGH THE WAY YOU INTERACT WITH STUDENTS. I think the perception that needs to be altered is of teacher's intent... it's an underemphasized point in Xie, but maybe really important in your case.
Thanks, Tom. this'll help me keep the focus in my assignment.
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