4.2.2 Evaluable Feedback 13

4.2.3 Discussion 14

4.3 Turn-taking 14

4.3.1 Analysis 14

4.3.2 Discussion 15

4.4 Mood 16

4.4.1 Analysis 16

4.4.2 Discussion 17

5. Conclusion 18

5.1 Findings 18

5.2 Implications 18

5.3 Limitations 18

References 20

1. Introduction

1.1 Background 

Endowing students with authority in class is increasingly emphasized. Running through the heart of Chinese basic education curriculum reform in 2001, the idea is: for the development of each student, stressing that, rather than thoroughly obeying teachers’ instructions, students should take a more active role in the learning process. In line with it, democratic classroom starts to draw national attention. In the pursuit of democratic classroom, scholars mainly focus on the theoretical research, such as Liu Wanhai and Dong Ying. They all demonstrate the significant points of “democracy” and the innovation that teachers should make for it, but lack empirical study (Liu Wanhai, 2012; Dong Ying, 2000). 

On the other hand, English class has been attached great importance since it was introduced as a compulsory subject in September 2001 in China. And the study of English classroom discourse has been prevailing in China, but rarely that of the primary and secondary school. However, the number of teachers and students involved in primary and secondary English education are distinctly higher than that in other realms of English education. And it is in the primary and secondary school that students will spare most time to learn English (Lin Zhengjun, Liu Yongbing & Wang Bing, 2009). Videlicet, primary and secondary English education is an indispensable topic when it refers to English classroom discourse.

1.2 Purpose and Significance 文献综述

Considering the above domestic situation and classroom discourse’s role in democratic classroom construction, this study intends to combine these two points together, probing into the construction of democratic English classroom from the perspective of classroom discourse. By virtue of analyzing and discussing the classroom discourse of a real English class in junior middle school, mainly focusing on teacher talk, the study aims to excavate the related factors the teacher and students need to pay attention to for democratizing English class.

From the practical perspective, the main purpose is to promote the development of middle school democratic classroom and enhance the equality between teachers and students in class. With both merits and shortcomings to be found, suggestions will be given, which are conductive to the implementation of middle school democratic teaching.

1.3 Framework 

The thesis contains five chapters. Chapter one briefly introduces the background, purpose and significance, and framework of the study. Chapter two synthetically reviews the relevant literature about democratic classroom as well as classroom discourse at home and abroad. Chapter three raises research questions and depicts the research methods. Chapter four presents specific analysis and systematical discussion of the classroom discourse of an English demo class in junior middle school based on “democracy”, including both merits and shortcomings, from four aspects, “Questions and Questioning”, “Feedback”, “Turn-taking” and “Mood”. And Chapter five draws the conclusion about discourse factors embedded in the construction of democratic English classroom in middle school, thereby giving suggestions to democratic teaching, especially of middle school English classroom. Meanwhile, the limitations of the present study are pointed out in this chapter.源:自'优尔.·论,文;网·www.youerw.com/