Role of Classroom Interaction in English Language Learning: A Study on Tertiary Level Teachers and Students in Dhaka Md. Jahid Hasan

Abstract

Classroom interaction has always been a significant concern in language learning. It also involves the use of the target language by both the facilitator and the learners as interlocutors. Following Ellis (1990, as cited in 2017), interaction focuses on the meaning and is conducted to ease the transmission of information and prevent communication failures. This study investigates the role of classroom interaction in English language learning where teachers and students participate in discussions and collaborative practices. This study is mainly focused on four researchable questions, and the target populations are the English language teachers and students of two private universities which are prominent for classroom communication in Dhaka. This is a mixed-method research study where qualitative data from openended questions for the teachers, teachers’ interviews, focus group discussion (FGD), and quantitative data from students’ questionnaires were used to get effective results. The researcher has followed the Likert scale format to design the students’ questionnaire. The questionnaire survey was completed by 50 students, 6 students participated in a focus group discussion (FGD) and 3 teachers were interviewed for this study. For questionnaire analysis, the researcher used SPSS and descriptive analysis, and for qualitative data analysis (interview and FGD session), the researcher used thematic analysis. The findings of this research have pointed to a variety of additional requirements that can only be achieved to have an effective and productive classroom interaction. The results elucidate the significant role of interaction in the English language classroom for the learners and suggest further steps to accelerate this interaction process in the English language classroom by increasing access of the students to the teachers.