THE ANALYSIS OF TEACHER TALK AND LEARNER TALK IN THE CLASSROOM INTERACTION: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY AT THE EIGHT GRADE OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Abstract

This study aims to describe the types of teacher talk and learner talk that occur during English classroom interactions at the Eight Grade of Junior High School Al Hikmah Darussalam Boarding School. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, involving one English teacher and 22 eighth-grade students. Data were gathered through direct observation and in-depth interviews, and analyzed using the Flanders Interaction Analysis Category System (FIACS). The findings reveal that the most frequent type of teacher talk was Asking Questions, followed by Praises or Encourages, Giving Directions, and Lecturing. In terms of learner talk, Learner Talk Response was most dominant, followed by Learner Talk Initiation, with some instances of Silence or Confusion. These results indicate that classroom interaction was primarily teacher-centered, with students showing limited initiative and providing mostly short responses. The lack of student idea contribution led to an imbalanced interaction. This research is expected to contribute both practically and theoretically to the improvement of English language teaching, especially in enhancing classroom interaction to be more communicative and to encourage students to use the target language more actively.