Increasing Intellectual Interaction among the Learners and the Teachers in an ESL Classroom

 

   What is Intellectual Interaction?

         Classroom is a heterogenous place where teachers and different students from different socio-economic settings come together and learning happens. Therefore, the interaction has to be managed by everyone taking part in teaching-learning process because interaction is a reciprocal action that people do together and in a cooperate way. In that sense, the intellectual interaction among learners and between learners and teachers happens in a classroom setting.

 

Why Intellectual Interaction among Teachers and Learners is Important?

           In an ESL classroom, what becomes important in language learning and teaching is that in addition to increase students’ linguistic knowledge, language teaching is also expected to focus on the language as well as a channel to convey information, to develop ideas, comprehension, and to negotiate concepts. The interaction in a classroom has long been considered important in language learning for students’ personality development. Because, it is proved that language and interaction are involved in human development and learning. Through interpersonal communication, students learn and develop to respect and listen others, show empathy, knowledge sharing, obey the ideas and comprehend behaviours of people in sociocultural perspectives.

           Thus, intellectual interaction builds students’ confidence and identity of being familiar with peers and teachers. Therefore, they do not hesitate to express their opinions, as well as be confidents enough to ask and clarify doubts if they have during classroom hours. When students integrate and interact with each other, they learn from their peers and try to learn themselves alone. Therefore, learner autonomy is enhanced. Additionally, they discuss and find solutions to make tasks success. Therefore, their thinking skills get developed.

How Intellectual Interaction can be Increased in an ESL classroom?

 

1.     Classroom Organization

 

In order to increase intellectual interaction in the classroom, it must be a pleasant place to maintain communication between learner-learner and teacher-learner. The number of students is matter. Maximumly 20 students per a classroom is effective. Because, if the amount is high, the teacher is not able to pay attention to each and every learner. Due to this reason, the interaction between teacher- learner will be distracted. Further, the sitting arrangement is also important to consider to help learners to maintain peer interaction. There, sitting in pair way or group wise will be effective in an ESL classroom. And also, the classroom should be spacious enough to students to keep their mentalities free to start conversations with others. Thus. If the classroom is attractive with pictures which are related to the lessons will create topics for learners to discuss with other learns.

 

Creating a Cooperative Learning Environment

 

           Luk and Lin (2007) state that language learning is a social activity in which learners build their knowledge through the help from more knowledgeable peers or teachers. Intellectual Interaction can be developed through activities, especially through cooperative activities like pair works and group activities nearly 4-5of learners groups, There, learners get opportunities to share their ideas (learner-talk time) by engaging activities like drilling, role-play, sharing experience tasks, terror card, jigsaw, listening activities etc. as well they play their roles as a note taker, a facilitator, a presenter etc. Assigning these roles is crucial to prevent the students to digress from discussion their topic and contribute meaningfully in the whole learning process while developing skills of negotiation and collaboration. Therefore, their intellectual interactions will be increased.

 

Developing bond between teacher and learner

 

            Strong teacher- learner rapport encourages healthy classroom interactions. In an ESL classroom, some students can understand a concept once it is presented, while other will require more explanations and more time. In such instances, teacher should be gentle to learner and try to connect with those learners kindly. Then the anxiety, backwardness of learners will be disappeared, and start learning confidently. Additionally, by walking around the classroom and monitor learners’ interactions and support them when in need build positive interactions between teacher and learner. Therefore, it is evident that emotional support increases intellectual interaction between teacher and learner.

 

     Interaction is essential in an ESL classroom because learning a language is not only knowing linguistic content but also a social activity. In order to develop intellectual interaction among teachers and leaners, aforementioned strategies can be used.