Patterns of Interaction in English Language Teaching (ELT) Classroom: An Ethnographic Study

Abstract

This ethnographic study investigates the dynamics of classroom discourse within the Nepalese English Language Teaching (ELT) context, focusing on the relationship between interactional patterns and student engagement. Despite the pedagogical shift toward student-centeredness, teacher-dominated discourse often persists in language classrooms. The purpose of this research is to analyze how specific instructional strategies shape the predominant patterns of classroom interaction within the current Nepalese ELT landscape. The study employed an ethnographic research design, guided by the interpretive paradigm and the theoretical frameworks of Social Constructivism and Collaborative Learning. Data were collected through 36 days of participant observation in the classrooms of two English teachers and further supported by ethnographic interviews and document analysis in order to provide a thick description of classroom culture. The findings reveal that the traditional Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) cycle remains a dominant pattern of interaction in ELT. However, the study highlights diverse strategies employed by the teachers in the classroom to foster student engagement and identifies various patterns of interaction. A significant contribution of this study is the identification of a layered interactional process that extends beyond verbal exchange. This includes engagement with digital technology and classroom semiotics. The study identifies student’s internal dialogue, self-monitoring, rehearsal, and reflection as learner-self interaction and learners’ engagement with technology as technological interaction. The study concludes that when teachers transition from information providers to facilitators, students demonstrate higher cognitive development and communicative competence. These findings offer practical implications for teacher educators and curriculum designers in Nepal, advocating for interaction-focused frameworks that prioritize student talking time and reflective practices as core instructional strategies.