A Speech Act Analysis of Selected Classroom Discourses in Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun
Chapter One
AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to investigate Speech act analysis of selected discourses in Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun.
The specific research objectives are to:
- investigate the speech act analysis of selected discourses in classroom interaction in Tai Solarin University of Education in Ogun State
- identify the predominant Speech act analysis of selected discourses in Tai Solarin University of Education.
- establish the relationship between the predominant Speech act analysis of selected discourses and students‘
- identify and analyze types of acts performed in classroom discourse in Tai Solarin University of Education.
- establish the relationship that exists between the predominant speech act and students‘
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
SPEECH ACT ANALYSIS OF SELECTED DISCOURSES
English discourse pattern, the arrangement of ideas in oral or written forms, has been a subject of interest to many discourse analysts. Discourse analysts either investigate text (written) patterns or oral (spoken) patterns. Their investigations so far have not been able to produce an appropriate English discourse pattern (Smith 2013), hence the need to investigate the English discourse pattern that is capable of assisting discourse participants to teach and learn effectively.
Past studies on English discourse in written and oral patterns presented below have not been efficient and Alexander (2006) observes that there is need to change the model structure put forward by some discourse analysts. Sinclair and Coulthard (1975) formulate a three-turn pattern of English discourse known as the IRF (Initiation, Response and Feedback). This discourse pattern is similar to Mehan‘s (1979) IRE (Initiation, Response and Evaluation) pattern; IRF pattern of Coulthard (1975) and the triadic dialogue of Lemke (1990).
Smith (2013) observes that when the triadic dialogue dominates classroom discourse, the possibility of sustained conversation is shut down and that the opportunity for students to talk through their ideas is lost. He also maintains that teachers are unable to gauge students‘ understanding or misunderstanding since they are not listening to the students‘ expressions on the topic they discuss. He therefore proposes the utilization of a sequence of several question-answer exchanges.
Dahal (2010) analyzes the spoken discourse pattern in Nepali ELT classes and observes that discourse analysis emerged as a fast growing discipline because studying language in natural settings (as opposed to making analyses of artificially created sentence ) demands it. This study further investigates naturally occurring classroom discourse based on Sinclair and Coulthard‘s (1975) model. The study finds that there is the use of a simple discourse pattern in Nepali higher secondary classes of English. Alexander (2006) observes that Sinclair and Coulthard‘s (1975) model has limited relevance outside language classes and that certain changes need to be made to this model. He therefore investigates the system of analysis for the structure of an informal Lesson. He identifies the two layers of discourse communication. These layers are the ―outer layer‖ and the ―inner layer‖. The outer layer is where language is used interactively for genuine communication and the inner layer is made up of the target language forms which constitute the subject matter of the lesson. Alexander‘s investigation has not fully provided an appropriate pattern for English discourse
Although Alexander has suggested certain changes to be done on Sinclair and Coulthard‘s model, discourse analysts (such as Yu 2009, Fakoya 1998, Olateju 2004, Blanton 2001 and many others) still used it in their investigations. Yu (2009) observes that classroom discourse is very important; using a detailed descriptive and analysis of the collected data, Yu explicates Sinclair and Coulthard‘s model and clarifies the problem inherent in the said model. Yu further puts forward a few strategies for college English teachers on how College English teaching and learning can be improved.
Fakoya (1998) analyzes verbal interaction in the Nigerian university classroom and examines topic formulation, managerial referring items, cohesion and coherence, discourse markers, signposting and strategies. He also examines the pragmatic aspect of discourse markers and considers the structural aspects of the constituents of acts and their sequential implicativeness. Carrying out a comparative study in the science and humanities, he examines how lecturers and students work together to realize interactions. He uses Discourse Analysis (DA), Conversational Analysis (CA), Ethnography of Communication and Pragmatics as theoretical frameworks to analyze university classroom interactions and his study revealed that students in science classes construct the ―text‖ with the lecturers and that humanities lectures are more or less teacher-oriented than science classes. He also discovered that structurally devised linguistic techniques involving two or more participants in a formal context are used to open and close lectures and that lecturers use discourse markers to realize discourse pragmatic functions.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter centres on research methodology. It includes research design, research population, sample and sampling techniques, research instruments, data and data collection and research procedure.
DATA AND DATA COLLECTION
This study utilized data sourced from classroom discourse from selected Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. Lessons taught by instructors in these Tai Solarin University of Education constituted the primary data for this work. The secondary data consisted of data collected from the libraries, journals, internet, textbooks, articles, periodicals and government sponsored studies and projects.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Non-experimental research design (ex-post-facto design) was employed because the thirteen elements of Speech act analysis of selected discourses were not manipulated. Ex-post- facto design is also called causal-comparative design. It is a Latin word which means ―after the fact or ―retrospectively (Ofo, 2005). The ex-post-facto design depicts a situation where the researcher cannot control the independent variables. Facts are taken the way they are in their natural form because they have already occurred and it is totally difficult or impossible to rearrange the conditions or manipulate the variables. In addition, Adenaike (2004) state that ex-post-facto research design analyzes past event or already existing condition. She maintains that under this design, the investigator establishes cause and effect relationship.
Kerlinger (1970 cited in Ofo, 2005) defines ex-post-facto research as:
That in which independent variable or variables have already occurred and in which the researcher starts with the observation of a dependent variable or variables. He then studies the independent variable or variables in retrospection for their possible relationship to, and effects on, the dependent variable or variables. The researcher is thus examining retrospectively the effects of a naturally occurring event on a subsequent outcome with a view to establishing a causal link between them.
In this research, the Speech act analysis of selected discourses and the speech acts are existing elements. They are not manipulated; rather they are studied with a view to identifying the appropriate discourse patterns and speech acts that are capable of improving classroom discourses in Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population comprised teachers and students in all Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND EXPLANATION
Data: Excerpts from Speech act analysis of selected discourses and Speech Acts on the Twelve Subjects
In this chapter, the data from the twelve subjects namely , Cake Making (CM), English (ENG.), Hairdressing (HD) , Refrigeration (Refr.), Fashion and Textile (FT), Cooking (CK), Mathematics (Maths), Basic Electricity (BE) , Information Technology (ICT), Computer Studies (CS) , Food and Nutrition (FN) and Short Hand (SH) are linguistically analyzed. They were first tape-recorded, reheard and the thirteen elements of Speech act analysis of selected discourses and three types of speech acts extracted and classified. The Speech act analysis of selected discourses used are informative (Infor), Explanative (Expl.), Causative (Cau.), Representative (Rep.), Self Elicitation (S.Eli.), Elliptical Representative (Elip. Rep.), Directive (Dir.), Elicitation (Eli.), Expressive (Expr.) , Slot Filler (Sf), Elliptical Elicitation (Elip. Eli.), Unclear (uncl.) and Nominative (Nom.) and the speech acts are direct, indirect and interdependent. Jefferson‘s (2004) transcription conventions are used in the presentation and discussion of data. The functions of direct speech acts are indicated (in abbreviations) in data presentation. Further functional analyses on literal and non-literal interpretations are done on the indirect and the interdependent speech acts.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDING, DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The summary of the research findings are presented in consonance with the five objectives of this research.
FINDING 1: In line with objective (1), thirteen discourse types, namely informatives, representatives, elicitations, directives, elliptical elicitations, explanatives, self-elicitations, elliptical representatives, slot fillers, nominatives, expressives, causatives and unclear acts were identified.
FINDING 2: In line with objective (2), the researcher discovered that elliptical representatives, explanatives, representatives, directives and elicitations were predominant Speech act analysis of selected discourses used in Tai Solarin University of Education.
FINDING 3: With reference to objective (3), the study revealed that although elliptical representatives, explanatives, representatives, directives and elicitations were highly applied, the first three Speech act analysis of selected discourses were able to enhance good performance.
FINDING 4: In line with the fourth objective, the study showed that three speech acts were identified. These are the direct speech acts, the indirect speech acts and the interdependency of direct and indirect speech acts. The study revealed that the use interdependency of the direct and indirect speech act was quite low.
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Having observed classroom discourse using frequency count recording, the researcher discovered that rather than representatives, elicitations and informatives as claimed by some discourse analysts such as Onadeko and Dairo (2008), Olateju (2004) and Osisanwo (2003), elliptical representatives, explanatives, representatives, directives and elicitations were the predominant Speech act analysis of selected discourses in Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. The researcher further identified thirteen English patterns in Tai Solarin University of Education.
CONCLUSION
The researcher examined ―English Discourse Patterns in Tai Folarin University in Ogun State, Nigeria‖ using the observation method of data collection. The data were sourced from lessons taught in different departments in ten Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. These lessons constituted the primary data. The secondary data for this study consisted of data collected from the libraries, journals, internet, textbooks, articles periodicals and government sponsored studies and projects. These lessons were tape-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using frequency count and simple percentage. The researcher chose the Speech Act Theory and Pragmatics as her theoretical frameworks. The outcomes of her investigation showed that there were the interdependency of direct and indirect speech acts and that the predominant Speech act analysis of selected discourses are elliptical representatives, explanatives, representatives, directives and elicitations.
The study has established that the Speech act analysis of selected discourses of elliptical representatives, explanatives and representatives have enhanced students‘ good performance. The study has also established that direct speech acts employed in Tai Solarin University of Education have equally encouraged students to perform well in their lessons.
The study has provided appropriate Speech act analysis of selected discourses for teaching in Tai Solarin University of Education. It has also provided a reference for discourse analysts, teachers and students. The study has been able to establish the potency of elliptical representatives, explanatives and representatives and direct speech acts as capable of producing positive results. It is also considered as a step further from the previous attempts towards the study of Speech act analysis of selected discourses in classrooms.
This research is on Speech act analysis of selected discourses in selected Tai Solarin University of Education in Ogun State. Rather than concentrating on conventional educational institutions, this research is based on Tai Solarin University of Education. To the best of the researcher‘s knowledge, there is no work that has fully concentrated on Speech act analysis of selected discourses in Tai Solarin University of Education before now. The need to identify the appropriate English discourse pattern had been the major problem in classroom discourse before now, but this work has filled the gap by not only looking at the appropriate Speech act analysis of selected discourses but also the potency of direct speech acts.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The researcher recommends that Speech act analysis of selected discourses of elliptical representatives, explanatives and representatives and direct speech acts be utilized by teachers or instructors so that the speech act analysis of selected discourses can be improved.
The researcher also recommends that related studies should be carried out on the potency of the interdependency of direct and indirect speech acts, especially in career and conventional educational institutions in Ogun State and its environs.
In addition, this research has put forward the following recommendations:
- A confirmatory test on the predominant Speech act analysis of selected discourses should be carried out at various levels and on types of
- This work only established the potentiality of the Speech act analysis of selected discourses of elliptical representative, explanative and representative; and a direct speech act as capable of enhancing good performance in students‘ However, it has not created a distinction or level of their potentiality in eliciting good performance. This work, therefore, recommends that further study is carried out to take care of this limitation.
- In addition, research should be carried out to establish whether or not the technical expertise of the facilitators or instructors determines the predominance of Speech act analysis of selected discourses in classroom interactions.
- Studies should be conducted to examine whether the levels of education of the instructors have positively contributed to the good performance of the
- Studies should also be carried out to identify and establish the mediator, moderator an intervening variables as they influence the relationship between the predominant discourse patterns and the students‘
REFERENCES
- Adeleke, A. (2004). Resources on Linguistics. Ogun: Mularpek Corporate Services.
- Adenaike, F. (2004) . ―Research Design‖ in Mastering Research in Education (ed). Ijebu: Samrol Ventures and Printing Co.
- Adegbija, E. (1982). A Speech Act Analysis of Consumer Advertisements. University Microfilms International , No. 8307973. Bloomington: Indiana University Ph.D. Dissertations.
- Adeola, O. (1995) Teacher’s Guide to Effective Teaching in Schools. Ogun: Divine Inspiration.
- Alexander, R. (2006). Towards Dialogic Teaching, New York: UK Dialogue.
- Allan, C. et al. (2007). ―The heart of a Teacher.‖ In Education Curriculum (eds). United States: Pearson Education Inc.
- Bellack, A. et al. (1966) .The Language of the Classroom. New York: Teachers‘ College Press.
- Berry, M. (1980). ― Layer of Exchange Structure‖ in Discourse Monographs, No. 7, University of Birmingham, English Language Research.
- Blanton, M. (2001). Using Classroom Discourse to Understand a Prospective Mathematics Teacher’s Developing Practice. Retrieved 26/2/ 2004 from www.elsevier.com/tate
- Brown, G. and Yule, G (1998). Discourse Analysis. New York : Cambridge University Press.
- Brice, A. and Peikens, C. (1998) .What is Required for Transition from ESL Classroom to the General Education Classroom. Retrieved 7/5/201 from http://cdg.sagepub.com/content/19/13abstract.
