Classroom Interaction in ELT Classes at Primary Level: A Case Study of Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices

Abstract

The present case study aims to explore the patterns of classroom interaction at the primary level in a public sector school in Karachi. During the course of study it has been observed that the biggest problem in the context of classroom communication is that the teachers have quite a vague idea of the efficacy of their talk with the students in classroom situations. The basic reason of studying teacher- student interaction is its immense contribution to pedagogy in general and to ESL classes in particular. Employing the qualitative paradigm, seven sessions of each of the six primary level teachers of English have been observed and the data of all the 42 classes have been recorded on the standardized Flander’s Interaction Analysis Matrix. Besides, post- class discussions and in- depth interviews have also been used as instruments of data collection. It has been found that there is a dire need to make the English Language teachers aware of the significance of classroom interaction and the role it plays in ELT classes.