Speech Acts of Classroom Interaction

Speech acts of classroom interaction have been an interesting topic both in ESL and EFL context. Little research, however, has been held in analyzing speech acts of classroom interaction and its relation to strategies used in EFL context. This paper aims at investigating the types and frequency of speech acts performed in terms of teacher-student interactions. It also focuses on analyzing strategies used by teachers and students in performing the illocutionary act of imperatives. Qualitative method is used by means of mixed pragmatic-discourse approach. The data were collected through observation and recording. Three English teachers and 30 male students grade IX of MTs NW Putra Nurul Haramain are participants for gathering the data. The study reveals that four types of speech acts performed are imperatives, assertive, expressions, and commissives. Of those speech acts performed, the very dominant type of speech acts performed, about 120 acts or 43% is imperatives.  Assertions about 117 acts or 42% are dominant acts.  Expressions about 34 acts or 12% area less dominant category and Commissives about 7 or 2,5% are not dominant. In relation to strategies used in realization of imperatives, the study recognizes that requests as strategies used in realization of request are (a) formal completeness (propositional completeness and modification), (b) level of directness (mood derivable, performative, hedged performative, locution derivable, and conventionally indirect), (c) point of views, (d) context, and (e) mood. The study reveals that imperatives as the most type of illocutionary act performed in classroom interaction. Furthermore, it also indicates the lack of students’ pragmatic competence in performing such an act. For that reason, teachers need to expose the learners with communication strategies in order to speak accurately and appropriately in different context. It needs a further study about pragmatic competence needed in EFL context and material designs for teaching such competences.