1. Suresh Babu G
Nature of Classroom discourse: Oral language
Suresh Babu G
Assistant Professor

2. Suresh Babu G
Discourse
• Discourse is the communication of thought by
words; talk; conversation. Discourse denotes
written and spoken communications.
• A discourse is a body of text meant to
communicate specific data, information, and
knowledge.
• It is a mode of communication.
• Discourse is a style of written or oral form of
communication
Discourse – Latin word “discursus” means running to and from –Communication
– oral or written

3. Suresh Babu G

4. Suresh Babu G
Classroom Discourse
• The term classroom discourse refers to the
language that teacher and students use to
communicate with each other in the classroom.
• Talking or conversation is the medium through
which most teaching takes place, so the study of
classroom discourse is the study of the process
of face-to-face classroom teaching.

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Nature of Classroom Discourse
• Develop Communicative skill
• Reflective in nature
• Active participation
• Cooperative and collaborative
• Create inclusive learning
• It brings clarity and distinctiveness in the speech.
• Power belongs to both teachers and students.
• Teacher and student bring their own agenda to the
classroom.
• It lead to further interaction.
• Helps to develop a structure of power relationship.

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Oral language
• Oral language is the system through which we
use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas,
and feelings.
• Oral language is the foundation for student
learning.
• Oral language, the complex system that relates
sounds to meanings, is made up of three
components: the phonological, semantic, and
syntactic (Lindfors, 1987).

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Functions of Oral Language
• Expressing and responding to feelings.
• Informing
• Controlling and persuading
• Participating in social rituals
• Creating and imagining

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Oral Language Development
Across the Curriculum

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Developing Oral Language
• Encourage conversation.
• Model syntactic structure.
• Maintain eye contact.
• Remind students to speak
loudly and articulate clearly.
• Explain the subtleties of tone.
• Attend to listening skills.
• Incorporate a “question of the day.”
• Compile a class booklet of students' phrases.

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