Exploring material-mediated EFL classroom interactions: An ecological perspective

Abstract

While the importance of materials in second language (L2) learning and instruction has been widely acknowledged, research on how materials mediate classroom interactions are still relatively scarce. This, however, is crucial considering the complex interplay among teacher, students and materials in classroom interactions. The study investigates this issue from an ecological perspective, regarding students’ learning through material use as holistic, dynamic, and emergent. Multiple data were collected combining classroom discourse analysis with students’ reflection and interview data. Findings revealed that: (1) different materials catalyse different patterns of classroom interactions as well as teacher and students’ talk; and that (2) while students tended to be more expressive in texts that are personally relevant, texts with literary language use and space for multiple interpretations entail complex meaning-making and lexical choice. Findings of the study suggest that adjusting features of materials can catalyse diverse opportunities for learning and interaction depending on students’ L2 proficiency and prior knowledge, thus rendering relationships between material use and students’ learning actionable.