CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the introduction of this study. The discussion begins with the background underlying this study. Research questions, which became the guideline of this study, and the aims of the study are presented next. The discussion goes on to the scope and significance of this study. Finally, this chapter is ended by presenting the paper organization.

1.1

Background Teacher talk is an essential part of foreign language teaching in the classroom, the

way teachers talk not only determines how well they make their lectures, but also guarantees how well the students will learn. The quality and quantity of teacher talk, as the main aspect of teachers behavior, have a great impact on the students language learning. Nunan (1991) contends teacher talk is of crucial importance, not only for the organization of the classroom but also for the processes of L2 acquisition. It is important for the organization and management of the classroom because it is through speech that teachers either succeed or fail to implement their teaching plans. In terms of acquisition, teacher talk is important because it is probably the major source of comprehensible target language input the learner is likely to receive. Since the mid 1990s teacher talk has been advocated by many western researchers such as Sinclair and Coulthard. In relation to the English language learning and teaching in classroom, teacher talk will effect the quality and quantity of input, output and interaction in the classroom. Input can be provided in good quality and sufficient in amount if the teacher contributes maximally in the role of resources from teacher talks (Ellis, 1986; Chaudon, 1988; Nunan,1991) in explaining, commenting or even questioning during the classroom activities. Language production as the intended output can also be tigger by teacher when he carries out the role of controller by giving commands or questions to the students in the classroom. Interaction as the core of teaching learning process and through it acquisition can be facilitated (Long, 1983; Ellis, 1986; Johnson, 2001; and Brown, 2001) and maximized through the conversation

between teacher and students . To summarize, in fulfilling good quality and enough input, output and interaction, teacher questions are the important point to take into consideration. In language learning both in second language and foreign language learning, teachers questions become one of important things during teaching-learning process. Teachers questions are believed as a factor that contributes to students language development as a research Tan (2007) found that the teachers questions will shape both the form and the content of the target language as well as the processes and outcomes of individual development. Concerning the importance of teacher questions in the students language development, three researchs conducted by Tsui (1995) and Morgan and Saxton (1991) have both shown teachers questions in the classroom is related significantly to improvement in language proficiency. Regarding the importance of teachers questions in language learning, teacher should know what kind of questions which are potential to support students in learning a target language. The urgency of knowing types of questions are based on the reasons that inevitable sort of questions will likely the students to respond, provide more comprehensible inputs and create more genuine interactions. Take for example, when a teacher uses more referential questions in asking question in classroom interaction, the answer from students will be more in number of words used, more complex sentences uttered and more natural of communication developed (Brock, 1986). In order words, by using referential questions, teacher gives opportunities for students to receive comprehensible input, more chance to produce output, and more opportunities to create natural interaction. However, being familiar with the types of questions only is not sufficient to conduct effective teaching. To create natural interaction in the classroom, every teacher has to know what kind of introgrative speech act, an interrogative sentence is a type of sentence most typically used to ask a question (Hurford:1994) that teacher use in the classroom to maintant the outcome of students motivation and communication. Teachers question may occur as direct and indirect speech acts that can influence quality of interactions between teachers and students. Take for example, when a teacher uses inderect language in classroom interaction, it makes students be more focused and feel more respected, thus become more confident and active to participate in interactions. Therefore, teachers should know what languages would be more efficient in creating an environment in which students feel more comfortable and more confident and become more involved in interactive activities in the language classroom.

Seeing the important role of questioning in language classroom to facilitate students to have comprehensible input, to trigger students to produce language production (output), and to create interaction in classroom. Here, through this investigation, the researcher will find what types of questions which help students to learn language,how teachers express themselves through introgrative speech act which can motive students to become active to participate in classroom interaction. 1.2 Research Questions The researcher formulated the research questions as follows: 1. What types of question do the teachers usually use in ELF classroom? 2. What kind of responses do the questions generate from the students? 3. What is the impact of teachers questions on language learning?

1.3

The Aims of the Study Given the research statement, this research paper was aimed: 1. to identify the types of question used by English teacher during English teachinglearning process. 2. To identify the types of responses and the complexity of the student responses due to the use of those questions by the teacher during the classroom teaching-learning process. 3. To investigate how questions can impact language learning classroom activities.

1.4

Scope of the Study As a case study, the analysis of this research is emphasized in depth (Best, 1981).

Therefore, the scope of this research would be solely focused on first, to identify the types of question used by English teacher during English teaching-learning process.Second, to identify the types of interrogative speech act used by English teacher to facilitate language learning during English teaching-learning process. The last, to investigate how questions can facilitate language learning classroom activities

1.5

Significance of the study This study is significant because it enriches research on types of questions and

introgrative speech act types in teaching English in Indonesia. Then, for the practitioners, this study provides the insight into the use of those types of questions and introgrative speech act to facilitate better learning of English language, to encourage the students in order to participate in teaching-learning process, and to promote second language acquisition. Teacher of English language will particularly benefit from this study as the findings will be an eyeopener to them on how to use questions and introgrative speech act appropriately to improve EFL classroom interaction. The last, this study is expected to be another alternative effort of improving students competence in learning English communicatively in the basis of classroom activities. 1.6 Study Participants This research involved 45 students of seventh grade in class 8 SMPN 1 Bandung during the video-recording processesmand observation. The seventh grade was chosen by taking a consideration that eigth grade is the middle level of English learning in junior high school where students are taught English as one of main subjects. Therefore, it is expected that the research finding will contribute to achieve successful English learning in the next level.

1.7

Method of the Research

1.7.1 Method The appropriate approach used to observe students classroom participation quality as a natural setting is qualitative. As one of the method in qualitative approach, interactive qualitative by using case study method was applied. Supporting that qualitative is the appropriate approach to be applied in this research, Sugiyono (2008, pp. 14) stated that qualitative approach through its post positivism has special value to investigate social condition as holistic, complex, dynamic, meaningful and reciprocal phenomena. Hence, this approach was applied in this research to get clearer information about the quality of students classroom participation in learning English.

1.7.2 Techniques of the Research The data of this research were gathered through observation (video-recording), document, and interview. Those data gathering technique are in line with what stated by Sukmadinata (2008, pp. 61) concerning about the data gathering of interactive qualitative method. The observation (video-recording) was conducted for four times to provide valid information about the students classroom participation pattern during the English teachinglearning process. The observation was conducted with permission from the institutional officials. Beside observation, document analysis was also used since the verbal interaction in the classroom from the observation (video-recording) was transcripted. Here, a classroom discourse analysis theory is used since it can be used to identify and interpret the values of certain pattern of teacher-student interaction, teachers language varieties choice, and learning content in a teaching process (Suherdi, 2006). The appropriateness of using discourse analysis in this research is also supported by Allwright (1999, pp.61). He found that discourse analysts usually use discourse analysis in analyzing transcripts and videotaped data, which are the same kinds of instruments applied in this research. The next technique is interview. It was conducted to some students in class VII G by using group sampling and the English teacher in order to get clarification on observation (video-recording) data.

1.7.3 Data Analysis By considering the demand of this research analysis, the modified version of classroom discourse framework of analysis developed by Suherdi (2006, pp. 134-135) was adopted and used to analyze the data in this research. This framework of analysis contains of six columns, including the number of each exchange, move category, the form of linguistic elements, the learning behavior content, and verbal and non-verbal data. Those segmented part of analysis system allowed the process of analysis by segmenting each aspect that constructs the classroom interaction data (which were derived from video-recording) specifically.

1.8

Clarification of Terms
In order to avoid misinterpretation of terms, there are some key terms that need to be

elaborated. The elaboration is aimed at giving definition, avoiding misunderstanding and limiting the use of the terms, and understanding the context in which the terms being used (Cresswell, 1994). 1. Question refers to an utterance in an interrogative form that is addressed to someone in order to seek information or any statement intended to evoke a response. 2. Display Questions are questions to which the teacher knows the answer and

which the students are asked in order to display their knowledge or to check their understanding (Long & Sato, 1983; Brock, 1986; Thompson, 1991; Thornbury,1996). These types of questions are usually asked for comprehension,
confirmation or clarification. 3. Referential questions questions are asked to learners to facilitate expression of

opinions, or provision of information that the teacher generally does not have. As stated in many research articles, these questions are natural and asked to engender genuine communication (Long & Sato, 1983; Thopmson, 1991, Thornbury,1996)
4. Confirmation check are moves by which one speaker seeks confirmation of the

Brock,

1986;

others preceding utterance through repetition, with rising intonation, of what was perceive to be all or part of the preceding utterance.
5. Clarification requests are moves by which one speaker seeks assistance in

understanding the other speakers preceding utterance through questions or imperatives.

6. Comprehension cheeks are moves by which one speaker attempts to determine

whether the other speaker has understood a preceding message (Pica, 1987)
7. Comprehensible Input is the part of the total input that the learners

understand and which is hypothesized to be necessary for acquisition to take place ( Ellis, 1997)
8. Input Hypothesis is the hypothesis advanced by Krashen to Explain how

learners subconsciously acquire language from input they comprehend (Ellis, 1997)
9. Interaction Hypothesis is the name given to claim that the interactional

modification resulting from negotiation of meaning facilitate acquisition (Ellis, 1997)

10. Classroom interaction is used, in this study, meaning any sort of interaction occurring in the classroom. Teacher-student, student-student discussions, group discussions and any type of classroom participation are all considered as interaction. Richards and Nunan ( 0) believe that classroom interaction can be initiated either

ways by teachers or students. 11. Output hypothesis is the hypothesis which claims that the act of producing language constitutes, under certain circumstances, part of the process of second language ( Swain, 2007)

1.9

Paper Organization This research paper is presented into five chapters. Each chapter is subdivided into

subtopics that elaborated the given issue as follows: 1) Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter presents brief introductions to the area of investigation. It consists of an introduction which provides the information of background of the problems, the

research questions, the purposes of the research, significance of the research, scope of the research, subject of the study, and paper organization. 2) The second chapter is theoretical framework of the topic. This chapter discusses the theotitical views include the nature of questioning in classroom teaching which covers the functions and purposes of questions in classroom teaching; the position of questioning in classroom language learning which covers comprehensible input hypothesis, interactional hypothesis, and output hypothesis; the position of questioning in classroom interaction; and types of questions. Finally this chapters ends by presenting some related studies conducted by many researches concering about the question in classroom language learning.

3)

The third chapter is the method of the research which discusses subject of the research, procedure of the research and data analysis. This chapter constitutes the methodological aspect of this paper. In this section the researcher elaborates the methodological issues of the present study. The elaboration concludes the research design, research method, participants, research setting, techniques of gathering data, and techniques of analyzing data respectively.

4)

The fourth chapter is research result, which embraces the answer of the research questions. This elaborates the finding and discussion. The analysis is carried out based on the three research questions. The analysis is presented the sequence starting from types of questions and student responses, and what extent teacher question impact language learning. At the end of each elaboration, the researcher present the findings related to each research question.

5)

This chapter will present the overview of all findings consisting of conclusion and suggestions and recommendations for further researchers.

Studies in L1 classrooms have shown that the language used by the teacher affects the language produced by the learners, the interaction generated and hence the kind of learning that takes place.