ABSTRACT
Classroom discourse is an expansive area of investigation. It has attracted the interest of scholars working in a number of disciplines and using a range of methodological approaches. As a result, approaches to, and interpretations of, classroom discourse vary from one researcher to another. To this end, this chapter provides an overview of what is meant by classroom discourse analysis. This is accomplished by asking three questions. What is classroom discourse? What is discourse analysis? Why do classroom discourse research? The chapter ends with an outline that can be used to begin the research process.
