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What is the purpose of interaction?
What is the purpose of interaction?
It is important to create to conditions in which students work together in meaningful ways. Students need opportunities to interact with their peers, with the teacher, and with their native language.
What are the features of interaction?
What are the features of interaction?
Feature #16: Frequent Opportunities for Interaction and Discussions Between Teacher/Student and Among Students
It is important to provide students with opportunities for talking, listening, and thinking in class about concepts, ideas, and information. As students talk about a topic, they have the opportunity to try out new words, grammatical structures, and language functions. They also learn from their peers who have more advanced language proficiency. Participation in discussions with peers provides the language practice time English learners need.
Balance linguistic turn-taking between the teacher and students, and among students
Encourage students to elaborate their responses ("Tell me more...", "What else?")
Initiate a variety of discussions - whole class, small group, partners, teacher-led, student-led
Teach and practice the rules for engaging high-quality discussions
Structure your lessons to provide times for student discussion
Use techniques to scaffold replies ("In other words...", "Versa said...do you agree?")
Provide wait time for students
Use cooperative learning strategies to promote discussion between students
Feature #17: Grouping Configurations Support Language and Content Objectives of the Lesson
Teachers should provide a variety of grouping configurations including whole class, partners, and small group. This engages students more directly in learning by having a balance of teacher presentation and productive group work.
Keep in mind, always grouping by ability can have serious academic and social effects for students who are not in the top group.
Varying group configurations (whole group, small group, partners) provides students with opportunities to learn new information, discuss it, and process it.
Allowing students to work together to critique or analyze material, create graphic representations or vocabulary words or concepts, or summarize material makes information more meaningful and increases learning.
WIDA-Focus-on-group-work.pdfWIDA Focus on Group Work
Feature #18: Sufficient Wait Time for Student Responses Consistently Provided
Wait time is the length of time between utterances during an interactive. In classroom settings, it refers to the length of time a teacher pauses between asking a question and soliciting a response.
Research has found providing wait time increases student discourse and enhances student-to-student interaction.
English learners benefit from a patient approach to classroom participating, in which teachers wait for students to complete their verbal contributions.
Teachers can use a variety of "wait-time" strategies into their lesson:
Give think time of 20 seconds to 2 minutes before soliciting an answer
"Turn and Talk" with a neighbor to allow students to rehearse an answer
Use the "Numbered Heads Together" strategy (Cooperative Learning Strategy)
Have students rehearse their answer in their heads by putting their fist to their chest and silently counting how many words will be in their response and putting a finger up for each word.
Feature #19: Ample Opportunity for Students to Clarify Key Concepts in L1
Best practice tells us that English learners benefit from opportunities to clarify concepts in their first language. Clarification of key concepts in students first language a bilingual teacher, peer, or through the use of materials provides important support for the academic learning of those students who are not yet fully proficient in English.
Instructional materials and supports may include:
Translation websites or dictionaries
Summary of text or concept by a teacher or peer fluent in the student's first language
Important vocabulary translated to the student's first language
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