This document provides information and guidelines for an assignment in an education course called Examining Language in the Classroom. The assignment requires students to record themselves teaching, analyze aspects of their own language use from the recording, and discuss how to improve their language and communication with students. The document outlines the assignment components such as describing the teaching activity, analyzing pronunciation, speech rate, questioning techniques, and providing examples from other students' assignments. Students will submit a draft and final paper analyzing their recorded language sample.

1. In LCRT 5810 you will…
• Observe language: Yours & a student’s
• Record language: Yours & a student’s
• Analyze language: Yours & a student’s
• Record literacy samples from a student
• Analyze a student’s language, reading & writing
• Examine the interplay between a learner’s
language, reading & writing
• Apply linguistic perspectives to language, teaching,
and learning.

2. In LCRT 5810 we will also …
Use linguistics to observe & discuss
language & literacy.
And we will take a linguistic perspective on
teaching and learning.
However, this is not a course in linguistics.

3. First assignment:
Examining Language
in the Classroom
FOCUS:
Your language use

4. First assignment: Examining Language
in the Classroom
Focus on YOUR language
• In this assignment, you will observe, examine,
and analyze your own language as you interact
with students in a teaching context.
• Collect a 30-50 minute audio recording of
yourself teaching or directing students.
• Your focus will be to analyze your language and
communication patterns used during this
interaction.
• For this analysis, you will cite several examples
and explanations of your classroom language
for each of the following….

5. Guidelines: Examining
Language in the Classroom(1)
Directions: Collect a 30-50 minute audio
recording of yourself teaching. Your focus will be to
analyze your language and
communication/interaction patterns used during
instruction. Place the recording device in a location
so that it is likely to pick up teacher and student
voices, turn on the recorder, and let it “roll.”
You may wish to use ‘Audacity’ at:
audacity.sourceforge.net or another type of
recording device with which you are more familiar.

6. Guidelines: Examining
Language in the Classroom (2)
Directions (2):
NEXT…… Once you have collected the language
sample, you will listen to it several times in order
to cite examples and explanations of the
language patterns you observed in your language
and in students’ language. Submit your final
paper in a typed word document on CANVAS and
BRING a paper copy to share in class.

7. Guidelines: Examining Language
in the Classroom
Directions:
1. Briefly describe the purpose of your
teaching activity (1-3 sentences):

8. 2. Analysis of Classroom Language
Classroom Language Examples verbatim from recording
Clear and unclear enunciation of
sounds (pronunciation):
Variations of rate or pace of speech
(fast, reasonable, slow):
Variations of volume of speech (loud,
reasonable, soft-difficult to hear):
Repetition of directions, content,
reminders, etc.
Pauses; when, how often, strategic
use:
Use of slang or expressions and
explanation to clarify slang:
Variations of sentence complexity
and sentence length.
Variation of verb tenses: Which
ones?

9. 3. Analysis of Teacher Questions &
Student Responses
Teacher questions & Student Responses Examples verbatim from
recording
WH- Questions (who, what, when, where, why)
Clarifying Comprehension Questions (e.g., “Give me a thumbs
up if you are getting this.”
Yes-No Questions (“Do plants need water to live?”)
Higher Order Thinking Questions (“Describe what
conditions are needed in order for a plant to survive.”)
Wait Time
Questions Asked by Teacher & then Answered by
Teacher
Questions Asked by Students

10. Final observations & analyses
4. Note any additional observations
about teacher’s language, students’
language and their interactions or
communication patterns.
5. How can you use the information
gained from this analysis to enhance
YOUR language use and your students’
language use in the classroom?

11. Examining Language in the Classroom
Write & submit a draft of the assignment
(See Course Calendar & CANVAS).
After getting feedback on the draft, you will
complete & submit the finalized assignment.
Submit your final paper in a typed word
document on CANVAS and BRING a paper
copy to share in class.

12. What have teachers
had to say?
Examples from teachers
who examined their classroom language

13. Examples from teachers
who examined their classroom language
• Clear and unclear enunciation of sounds:
• The majority of sounds were clearly spoken.
• However, I dropped some endings-goin’, doin’, somethin’.
• I used- ‘ya betcha’ twice and ‘haf ta’ once.
• In two instances, I started words, but did not finish them-
‘excep for exception’ and ‘deter for determine’.
• Variations of rate or pace of speech:
• My rate started at a pace that was comfortable to the students. I
know this because they were at ease and following along.
• I noticed that my rate increased as the teaching period passed
and I felt hurried. My students were stirring.
• I said slowly, “Okay, here are the directions” to get students’
attention and then I rushed through the explanation of what they
were supposed to do!!

14. More examples from teachers
who examined their classroom language
WH- Questions (who, what, when, where, why)
• Total number asked by teacher:
• I asked a total of 8 WH- questions while teaching my lesson today
• Total number of answers given by students:
• I received 15 total responses from students. Some students
answered the WH- questions correctly, and sometimes I had to ask
another student for the correct answer.
• Give several examples of the WH questions that you
asked:
• What do you think will happen when we combine baking soda
with vinegar?
• Why is it important to have only one variable in our scientific
experiment?
• What did you predict would happen in the experiment?

15. Transcribing spoken language
• The Examining Language in the
Classroom assignment does not
require a transcript.
• You will have another assignment that
does require an accurate transcript.
• Try using the “Examining” assignment to
practice the transcribing skills for the
future assignment!

16. HINT: Transcribing oral language
• Before you begin to fully record, make sure that you
can collect an excellent audio recording with the
device you are using.
• Listen carefully several times to accurately capture
the language that is being produced.
• Having a video recording will allow you to capture
non-verbal language. 
• Transcribe the language that you really hear…not
what you ‘expect’ to hear.
• “I wanna get anuder pamcake from da plate.”
-- VERSUS --
• “I want to get another pancake from the plate.”

17. Excerpt of a Sample Transcript
(1) T: You hava bout 30 sec-ndz lef
(2) T: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Zero! Put your pencilz down ‘n
shakout your hanz
(3) T: while ya re-read what ya just wrote…. (Pause)
(4) T: (repeats) Re-read whatcha just wrote…. (Pause)
(5) T: Shhh!..... (class gets quiet)
(6) T: (talking to a student) Good! As long as ya stay-on
the topic of who you were writin-a bout… (Pause).
(8) T: Don, seddle down (student responds with some
utterances, can’t make them out)
(9) S: I know! (frustrated)
10) T: ‘K, so re-read-a-gain what ya just wrote.
(11) T: ‘K, ladiez ‘n gentlemen at this time, we’re
gonnago back ta this book ‘n then we’ll come back ta
your piece in jus-a-sec-n.

18. Insights? Reflections?
• What insights have you gained as a
result of conducting a quick analysis
of these data?
• How could this teacher use the
information gained from a thorough
analysis to enhance her language
use and her students’ language use
in the classroom?

19. Did you decide?
AGREE or
DISAGREE?
1. Language is dynamic (not static);
2. Languages – and dialects - have regular structures and
a predictable set of rules or a grammar);
3. Language is used primarily for communication;
4. Language speakers have a language competence that
may not always be reflected in their spoken language.
(Barry, chapter 1, 2008)

20. Language is DYNAMIC!
Words added to Webster dictionary in
2014:
❏ Fracking: The injection of fluid into shale beds at
high pressure in order to free up petroleum
resources.
❏ Hashtag: A word or phrase preceded by the symbol
# that classifies or categorizes the accompanying
text.
❏ Selfie: An image of oneself taken by oneself using a
digital camera especially for posting on social
networks.

21. Languages – and dialects -
have regular structures and a
predictable set of rules or a
grammar

22. South Midland English in
the USA
Has regular structures & predictable grammar
This area is dominated by the Appalachian Mountains and the
Ozark Mountains; originally settled by the Pennsylvania Dutch
and the Scotch-Irish. A TH at the end of words or syllables is
sometimes pronounced F, and the word ARE is often left out of
sentences. An A is usually placed at the beginning of verb that
ends with ING, and the G is dropped; an O at the end of a word
becomes ER. For example, "They a-celebratin' his
birfday by a-goin' to see 'Old Yeller' in the
theatah.”

23. Dialects do have regular
structures & predictable
grammar
Pennsylvania German-English in the USA
Has regular structures & predictable grammar
Strongly influenced by Pennsylvania Dutch, a
dialect of German spoken by people in this
area. Its grammar allows sentences like
"Smear your sister with jam on a slice of
bread" and "Throw your father out the
window his hat.”
http://youtu.be/FmzCLbgIis8