Between Control and Facilitation: The Implications of Teachers’ Discourse Choices on Learner Participation in ESL Classrooms

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between teacher discourse and learner engagement as essential components of the ESL learning process. By integrating Self-Evaluation of Teacher Talk (SETT) and thematic analysis from a micro-interactional level of classroom interaction. the study examines the role of teacher discourse patterns in shaping learner participation and engagement in tertiary ESL classrooms. Five ESL tutors and students from five different classrooms from a teacher training college in The Gambia participated in the study. Data collected through audio-recorded observations and post-observation teacher interviews reveal that there is a context-dependent relationship between teacher talk and learner participation and engagement. The findings of the study highlight that teacher control, structured as strict turn-taking, constant interruption, and form-based feedback limits learner participation and opportunities of meaningful language practice. The data also reveals that facilitative discourse practices, such as open-ended questioning, minimal interruption, and non-evaluative feedback, encourage learner talk and enable deeper cognitive and emotional engagement. The study also offers a valuable insight into how teacher talk can function as a mediatory tool for transforming abstract linguistic knowledge into participatory learning resources, particularly, in resource-constrained settings. Regarding the tensions between control and authority, the study indicates that teacher control is not inherently restrictive. Rather, it can facilitate structured interaction when applied in line with pedagogical objectives despite the fact that contradictions still remain between teachers’ pedagogical desires and their implemented discourse. Overall, the study points out the significance of classroom discourse as the interactional site for the co-construction of learner participation and engagement, raising important concerns about interactional awareness and reflective practice in teacher development programmes.