ABSTRACT

At the moment there are in existence probably hundreds if not thousands of miles of audiotape with recordings of classroom discourse. Inevitably this chapter considers Flanders's interaction category system. The linguistic analysis of Sinclair et al. found the Flanders approach wanting on several counts. Although there are many other approaches to the analysis of classroom talk, the chapter focuses particularly on the linguistic aspect of talk. The Flanders system divides all talk that takes place in the classroom into ten categories. Seven are devoted to teacher talk, two to pupil talk and a tenth, described as 'silence or confusion', covers all other conditions. Teacher talk is divided into two main categories which are conceived of as exerting indirect or direct influence on the pupils. Pupil talk has the two categories of responding to the teacher and initiating talk.