VERBAL INTERACTION IN SMALL CLASS SIZE OF ENGLISH CLASSROOM

This study deals with the verbal interaction practiced in small class size of English classroom of SMA CT foundation Medan in the perspective of conversation analysis. The objectives of the study are to found out the patterns of interaction between two teachers who teach 20 students in a similar class and created reasons why the participants practice the way they do. This research was conducted in descriptive qualitative design. The transcription data were collected in one classroom at SMA CT Foundation, an elementary school classroom in Deli Serdang regency which has adopted a small classroom size for five years through observation, recording and in depth interview. The transcription data of participants’ utterances were analyzed in Nasaji and Wells’ theoretical framework (2001). There was also interviews with two teachers and four students both male and female. The findings of the study showed that that there are four types of exchange structure practiced by the participants. They are IRF, IRE, IRFRFRF, and IRFRFRE. From fourteen categories of teacher talk three categories were not practiced by the teachers. They are rejection in evaluation move, and confirmation and reformation in follow up move. The categories frequently used by the teachers in teaching small class of CT foundation were introduction and information delivery in preparatory initiation move, information gathering, known answer questions, demanding, authentic questions in initiation move, acknowledgement, in evaluation move, and four types of follow up move such as solicitation, clarification, extension, and association. The verbal interaction between the teachers and students was dominated by the use of questions namely known questions and solicitations to initiate the students’ talk and responded by information back and counter inquiry talk categories. The reason for the teacher practiced frequently known questions and solicitations to initiate the students’ talk is the target of teaching English and their belief and perception toward their learning process, while students’ verbal interaction is affected by their closeness with their teachers and school regulations.