Communication in the Classroom

A 5 -Lesson Unit on the Process of Communication in the Classroom Environment

• Lesson 1: Communication in Classrooms
  • Survey of Classroom Interaction
  • Classroom Behavior Record & Evaluation Form
• Lesson 2: Classrooms in the US and Japan
• Lesson 3: Culture Gap in Japanese University Classrooms
  • Teacher Preferences of Student Behavior in Japanese EFL Classes
• Lesson 4: How to minimize classroom culture differences in Japanese university classes
• Lesson 5: Practice asking questions in class

The materials you see in this poster were used in an EFL course for Japanese university freshmen. With total freedom in designing and executing the course, I chose to make it a content-based class on the process of communication. One of the units in the course focused on communication in the classroom environment. The major objectives of this unit were:

1. encourage students to observe the process of communication in their classes with special attention paid to student (including their own) and teacher behaviors
2. stimulate awareness of cultural influences on classroom interaction
3. raise understanding of what non-Japanese teachers may be expecting in terms of classroom interaction
4. promote consideration of how to overcome cultural differences in classroom interaction styles

Five 90-minute class periods were devoted to this unit.

A.     Introduce the idea of "classroom culture" as described in Andersen & Powell (1982)

B.     Group task: Complete Survey of Classroom Interaction (1). Indicate frequencies for High school classes, university classes taught by Japanese, university classes taught by non-Japanese

Mark the box that indicates what classroom interaction was like in your high school days.

(Editor's Note: I added in hypens to get Netscape to display the table correctly.)

HOMEWORK: Complete Classroom Behavior Record and Evaluation Form (2)

DATE:

Was it easy for you to look at the teacher when s/he spoke? If no, why not?

Do you think it is good or bad to look at the teacher during lectures? Why?

Were your notes helpful or not? Why?

How did you feel when you asked the teacher a question?

How did the teacher respond?

Are you glad that you asked questions? Why or why not?

How did you feel when you did this?

How did the teacher react to your volunteered answer?

Are you glad you volunteered answers? Why or why not?

Were you successful in following the teacher's directions correctly? If not, why not?

Why it was difficult or easy to pay attention?

When did you talk to the teacher?

How did you feel while you were talking with the teacher?

Are you glad that you talked with the teacher? Why or why not?

A.     Survey responses on Classroom Behavior Record and Evaluation Form.

Call on individuals to share some of their responses

B.     Ask class to describe what happens in a "good" classroom

in Japan. Write descriptors on the board.

C.    Describe to class what happens in a "good" classroom in America based on personal experience, common knowledge and Berko, et al (1989, pp. 49-52).

D.    Group work: Compare frequencies checked on Survey of Classroom Interaction with other group members. Discuss similarities, differences, patterns, reasons.

Distribute hand-out of survey summary and tables.(3)

1. Describe survey of preferences and observations of non-Japanese teaching EFL in Japanese universities.
2. Review results of the survey; explain statistics and how to interpret them.
3. Group work: Collectively attempt to understand data; exchange impressions, comment on the results.

Summary of Results:

The immediate purpose of this investigation was to gain a better understanding of student behavior in Japanese college-level EFL classes and NS (native-speaker)-teacher preferences of student behavior. Survey data was collected from 82 NS teachers at colleges in Japan. Respondents marked preferred and perceived frequencies for 25 student behaviors in their EFL classes, and were requested to add descriptions of desirable and undesirable classroom behaviors.

A t-test was used to compare paired scores of teacher-preferred frequencies (TP) and frequencies teachers perceived occurring in their classes (CB). TP and CB were found to be significantly different (p < .05) on all survey items.

43 respondents entered descriptions of undesirable behaviors. There was more agreement among these responses than there was for desirable behaviors. Descriptions are listed below followed by the number of respondents who provided each.

Means for CB and TP (N=82)
TP= Frequency preferred by NS-teachers
CB= Frequency perceived by NS-teachers of their students
5 = Always
4 = Usually
3 = Sometimes
2 = Rarely
1 = Never

A.     Poll class on how difficult it would be for them to engage in the behaviors preferred by non-Japanese teachers.

B.     Group work: How can non-Japanese teachers help their Japanese students engage in the behaviors they prefer? Write suggestions for a given problem and hand them in at the end of class.

HOMEWORK: Read excerpts of Andersen & Powell article "Intercultural Communication and the Classroom".(4) (See References below.)

A.     Class opportunity to ask questions about anything related to assigned reading

B.     Content of reading reviewed

C.    Summary and review of the unit

Andersen, J. F., & Powell, R. (1982). Intercultural communication and the classroom. In L. A. Samovar & R. E. Porter (Eds.), Intercultural communication: a reader (6th ed.) (pp. 208-214). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Berko, R. M., Bostwick, F. & Miller, M. (1989). Basic¥ly communicating: an activity approach (2nd ed.). Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown.

Sasaki, C. L. (1993). Teacher preferences of student behavior in EFL classes. Unpublished manuscript.

1.     Originated by writer for the present unit (1993).

2.     This task sheet is modified version of Berko, et al. (1989), Practice 10 (pp. 53-54), created by the writer for the present unit.

3.     Extracted from an unpublished paper by the writer.

4.     Anderson & Powell, pp. 210-211.

It would be a gross lie to proclaim that this unit produced a turnaround in student behavior. Most of them remain passive in terms of verbal participation. I do not believe, however, that the unit was a waste of time. I do believe that it was successful in making students more sensitive to the teacher and themselves as cultural beings, the classroom as a cross-cultural communication environment. If nothing else, the unit served to make students cognizant of differences between "classroom culture" as we have experienced it in our respective societies. Yes, given the opportunity, I would enthusiastically do this unit again.