Classroom Language Use in the Context of Learnin...
Classroom language is the language which a beginner learner is first exposed to.In most Chinese as a second language(CL2)classes，the classroom language is the target language，i.e.Chinese.Most studies on classroom language usage in the field of teaching Chinese as an international language are from the perspective of teachers with little attention paid to learners who are on the receiving end of the interaction.In practice，the approach in which classroom language is introduced in most Chinese textbooks for beginner learners is by enumerating a list of the expressions to be used in a CL2 classroom.The bulk of them are expressions used by the teacher，not the learner.Such expressions also lack classification by communicative function.
Effective communication between teachers and learners has a direct impact on the implementation of classroom activities and the completion of teaching tasks.It also plays a critical role in establishing positive teacher-learner interaction，as well as maintaining learners’motivation and interest to learn.It is thus important to take into account the needs of learners in compiling a list of classroom expressions，including learners’base language(Jorden and Walton，1987)and the receptive and productive function of classroom language.Along this line of thinking，this chapter proposes a framework for classroom language use in CL2 teaching based on communicative function，and suggests a new approach to the compilation of classroom expressions.