How do Kindergarten Classrooms Converse? Analysis of Linguistic Sequences in a Public and Private School in Chile
Supporting Agencies
- Agencia Nacional de Investigación de Chile (ANID)
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify, analyze, and compare linguistic sequences in two Chilean kindergarten classrooms, one public and one private. Using a mixed-methods approach, a video recording was made of a typical day in each classroom, and an activity initiated by the teacher was subsequently selected for analysis. Through a microanalysis of speech turns, linguistic sequences were identified, and each turn was classified according to its function: initiations, responses, and follow-ups. The results indicate that, in both classrooms, teachers made a greater number of initiations aimed at modeling behavior or classroom management. The children's responses were mostly low in complexity and short in length. As for follow-ups, low-level ones predominated, characterized by closed questions, repetitions of children's speech, evaluations, and instructions. However, the public classroom showed sequences with more turns of speech than the private classroom, as well as a greater presence of open-ended questions, both in initiations and follow-ups. The private classroom, in turn, shows more instructions and teaching statements than the public classroom. These findings raise questions about the quality of linguistic interactions in Chilean classrooms, highlighting the differences between public and private contexts. The implications of these results for improving initial training and professional development for teachers are discussed, with the aim of promoting higher-quality interactions that enrich learning and linguistic development in early childhood education.
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