A STUDY OF TEACHERS’ DIRECTIVES IN LECTURES IN ENGLISH

Abstract

This thesis examined the syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features of teachers‟ feedbacks in lectures in English. This qualitative study was based on a descriptive framework of functional grammar, speech act, epistemic modality and politeness theory. The presentation of the qualitative information of the kinds of teachers‟ feedbacks used in lectures was shown by examples quoted from transcripts of lectures chosen from TOEFL iBT listening sections. It was conducted by analyzing the data taken from 400 extracts of TOEFL iBT recordings and a questionnaire for students. The former was to discover features in terms of syntax, epistemic modality and politeness principles used in teachers‟ feedbacks. The latter was designed for the analysis of students‟ perception of teachers‟ feedbacks. It was found in view of clause as exchange, clause as message, and speech act theory, that most of the teachers‟ feedbacks occured in forms of truncated declarative sentence as a Theme or Rheme with discourse functions as confirming the validity of the students‟ answers, encouraging, complimenting the students, correcting and modifying their answers. The study also found that most students expected teachers‟ instructive and encouraging feedbacks with the correction rather than just a compliment. Based on the research findings, some implications for teachers‟ feedbacks in teaching and learning in English are suggested. Pedagogically, the research result can be a useful document for educators, lecturers, teachers and learners of English, in addition to those who are interested in teaching and learning, especially in teachers‟ feedbacks in lectures in English