ILTERG, Nevşehir, Turkey, 2 - 03 June 2023, pp.84
Extended wait time (EWT), one of the focal points affecting teaching process, is defined as “allowing sufficient time … for students to respond” by Walsh (2011). As one of the “interactures” of Walsh (2011), studying how EWT functions in EFL classrooms can also provide insights into classroom interactions and suggestions on teacher training and development (Can Daşkın, 2015; Girgin, 2018; Walsh, 2002, 2011; Walsh and Li, 2013). However, it might be considered that there are few studies on EWT (Atar, 2020a, 2020b; Süt, 2020). Hence, this study aims to discover the uses of EWT in EFL classrooms and EFL teachers’ practices to facilitate students’ responses. The data, part of the first author’s ongoing MA thesis, was collected via video recordings of classroom interaction in its natural context and then analyzed through Conversation Analysis principles. The study’s initial findings show that an EFL instructor employs various EWT strategies, such as allowing students sufficient time to think and formulate responses. If there is no answer from a student, she encourages participation by asking the student to think for a while and promising to return, nominates among volunteers, and then returns to the previous student. As the strategy works on multiple occasions, this study suggests that EWT might increase students’ learning opportunities and involvement, and both pre/in-service teachers might benefit in terms of classroom interactional competence if employed effectively.
Keywords: Extended wait time, Classroom interactional competence, Conversation
analysis, EFL classrooms