Classroom Interaction in ELT in Nigeria: Reflections on Professional Practice

Abstract

: The paper is a reflection on praxis and it explored both the dimensions of classroom interaction and the theoretical orientations that underpin classroom talk. It is set against the background of the primacy of talk in learning and the heightened significance of interaction in teaching and learning contexts where the medium of instruction is not the learners’ mother tongue. This is the ELT context in Nigeria where a foreign language (English) is the overarching medium of instruction from mid-primary education upwards. The quality of both teaching and learning in such contexts will largely depend on the competences and management of interaction by teachers and learners. The study is anchored on Lev Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Theory of Development and it adopted a qualitative methodology; which interrogated existing literature on the subject as the basis for formulations on practice. The studies evaluated in this paper indicate significant research evidence in support of the variation of interaction patterns in the classroom and the primacy of talk in learning. This aligns to Vygotsky’s view that language plays a powerful role in shaping thought (learning). Based on these findings, the paper presented six strategies that could enhance classroom interaction and promote high learning outcome in the Nigerian ELT context. The paper concluded that a teacher’s classroom practice is a significant factor in determining the degree to which the teacher contributes to the learning outcome.