5 students will learn. “Teacher talk is particularly important to language teaching”
Cook, 2000: 144.
B. Problem Identification
Learning a language is not an easy task even for those who learn their native language or L1. For language learners who learn English as a foreign
language such as in Indonesia, most classroom is the main place where they are frequently exposed to the target language input. In the language classroom,
therefore, teachers should be able to establish what the appropriate languages they use. It would be more efficient in creating an environment in which students feel
more comfortable and more confidence to get involved in interactive activities in the language classroom. Appropriate teacher talk can create harmonious
atmosphere and at the same time it promotes more friendly relationship between teachers and students. Consequently, it creates more opportunities between
teachers and students to use the target language in their communication. There are several problems identified. Those are: 1 Learning language is
not easy, 2 Students in Indonesia learn English as a foreign language, and 3 Classroom is the main place for the learner to learn English. Seeing this reality,
the teachers as the source and guide for the students to learn the target language, it is important for them to be able to provide the best way in scaffolding the student
to learn. This is proposed the teachers make use their talk to provide the input during the process of teaching in the classroom. This study, however focuses on
the teacher talk in elementary school English class. It aims to describe the functions of the language used by the teacher in English class.
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C. Problem Limitation
Based on the problem identification above, the researcher focuses this study primarily in exploring the teacher talk in Elementary school English class.
The crucial reason why the reseacher feels interested focusing this study in this topic, is that the researcher himself is a teacher who teaches English in the
Elementary school. So, hopefully the findings of this study will contribute in improving the quality of teaching-learning English in the Elementary school.
English teachers are able to use the appropriate talk in the process of teaching- learning. Teacher can motivate, encourage, and improve the
students‟ participation in teaching-learning language activities by using their appropriate
talk, to help the students achieve the target language input. By doing so, the students are expected to build and develop their basic knowledge about English in
the early stage of their study to prepare them to be ready learn it in the next level of education such as at secondary school.
D. Statement of Research Questions