A Dialogic Teaching Approach to Undergraduate ESL Instruction (Published)
The aim of this paper is to further the understanding on how dialogic theory and research could be a valid lens through which ESL Composition teaching is approached. First, this paper puts forth a rationale to explain why dialogic teaching matters before building on theorists whose dialogic frameworks align with my purposes. Likewise, I draw upon Bakhtin, Freire, Nystrand, and Alexander to inform my understanding of dialogic theory. Later in this paper, I propose a dialogic teaching approach to an undergraduate ESL Composition course. What this paper has shown is that implementing dialogic instruction in ESL has numerous benefits to students’ overall learning. Specifically, using classroom talk seems to be effective in the teaching and learning of argumentation. However, unless ESL programs acknowledge the need for dialogic teaching approaches, we risk perpetuating what is already a pervasive monologic teaching practice in ESL. Finally, this paper overviews relevant pedagogical implications.
Keywords: Argumentative Writing, Dialogue, ESL Composition, ESL students, classroom talk, dialogic feedback, dialogic teaching