Creating Classroom Communities of Learning International Case Studies and Perspectives

by Barnard, Roger; Torres-Guzman, Maria E.

• ISBN13: 9781847691125
• ISBN10: 1847691129
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-18
• Publisher: Multilingual Matters

Summary

This is a collection of nine case studies of teachers and young learners in countries as widely separated as USA, Japan and Australia. In each chapter, classroom interaction is interpreted by different authors to illustrate how teachers and their students verbally co-construct culturally appropriate learning attitudes and behaviours. The collection reveals not only similarities and differences across cultural divides, but also how different perspectives can provide alternative and rich interpretations of teaching and learning.

Author Biography

Roger Barnard is a senior lecturer in applied linguistics at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. He has spent many years working with language teachers of young learners in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.Professor María E. Torres-Guzmán is a professor in bilingual/multicultural education at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY. She has primarily focused on teacher development and cultural aspects of the education of language minority populations in the United States, Spain and elsewhere.

Table of Contents

Creating Classroom Communities of Learning presents an innovative and enlightening account of interaction in nine communities of learning. In many ways it is a groundbreaking volume, full of rich transcripts of classroom interaction, with both ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ interpretations. It not only highlights the powerful influence of cultural practices outside the classroom on what goes on inside the classroom, but it also unpacks the issue of the interpretive process. Peter Martin, School of Education, University of East London This book reminds us to be wary of unidimensional interpretations of classroom transcript data. It presents alternative interpretations of rich, contextualized data, and invites further re-interpreting in order to develop our understanding of the co-construction of learning and the creation of learning communities. An international group of analysts engage in conversations about classroom interactions that are both unique and familiar. An intriguing, informative read. Gary Barkhuizen, Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics, University of Auckland