A Case Study on Sociolinguistic Dimensions of Teacher Talk in ESL Classroom

Teacher talk is a prominent aspect that fosters active learning and student engagement in the ESL classroom. (Starr, 2017). Therefore, this study intends to examine the sociolinguistic dimensions of the language; employed by English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. The research also analyses teacher language (teacher talk) and behavior specifically in relation to bilingualism, code-switching and gender differences. Following a qualitative approach this study used classroom observation to gather data which were then analyzed using thematic analysis with an emic perspective. The findings of the study highlighted the usage of bilingualism and code-switching in between English (L2) and teacher’s native language (L1) Sinhala. Further, gendered language behaviors and the presence of speech act theories in teacher talk inside the ESL classroom is also analysed. Furthermore, this research examines how linguistic choices influence the dynamics of teacher-student communication and cooperation in the classroom. By contributing to an in-depth understanding of the symbiotic relationship between language use and sociolinguistics theories prominent in ESL teaching context, this study recommends further research in the fields involving instructional language in ESL classrooms and ESL teacher training.