‘No, Rolanda, completely wrong!’ Positioning, classroom participation and ESL learning

Abstract

The current study, drawing on Positioning Theory, presents an analysis of various storylines of classroom interaction to illustrate how an adult ESL learner positioned himself and others in an academic oral skills class. Through a recursive micro-analysis of classroom talk, the findings demonstrate how this outspoken student shaped classroom discourse and impacted opportunities for learning for himself and others. Implications for effective classroom interaction and participation are discussed.

Keywords:

• positioning
• power
• ESL classroom participation
• outspoken students