Cross-cutting training in pre-service english teacher’s classroom discourse acquisition

Abstract

The article studies the problem of classroom discourse acquisition by pre-service English teachers. EL classroom discourse is considered to have a significant influence on the quality of teaching and learning process. The system of activities is devised within the cross-cutting train ing approach covering the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 4th academic years of university curriculum (within practical language discipline “Oral and written speech practice (the English language)”). The findings of the research suggest that con secutive work, step-by-step learning is an effec tive instrument for developing and improving pre-service EL teachers’ professional speech skills. The cross-cutting training includes three main stages integrating professionally-oriented disciplines such as “Pedagogics” and “Methods of teaching the English language and literature”. Each stage consists of definite groups and sub groups of definite activities. The devised activi ties are aimed at raising pre-service EL teachers’ awareness of the cognitive basis for building their EL classroom discourse, at encouraging students to create their individual style of verbal behaviour in the classroom, at providing a high level of practical relevance. The first stage com prises analytical tasks as well as phonetic/pho nological and lexico-grammatical tasks to focus students’ attention on EL classroom discourse feature characteristics as speech authenticity, phonetic, lexical and grammatical appropriate ness, on speech appeal, on the acceptability of code switching in EL classroom.