Exploring Interaction and Intonation Patterns in Indonesian EFL Senior High School Setting: A Classrooms Discourse Analysis

Dian Ardiansah

Abstract


Interaction patterns and intonation play a pivotal role in classroom discourse analysis, serving as effective strategies to shape and sustain interaction processes that foster students’ confidence, intelligence, and engagement in learning. This study examined how interactional structures and intonational features function in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom by comparing practices of novice and experienced teachers. Employing a qualitative case study design, data was collected through classroom observations and interviews to capture the use and impact of interactional moves and speech tones. The analysis drew on Markee (2015); Rymes (2016) classroom discourse framework and Coulthard (2014); Walsh (2011) tone analysis model. Findings revealed that the IRF (Initiation–Response–Feedback) pattern, combined with varied intonation strategies, contributed to a supportive classroom climate. EFL classroom discourse is constructed through the negotiation of interaction and prosodic intonation. Interaction provides structure, while intonation conveys emotional and social nuances. Together, they synergize to create a classroom climate that fosters participation, confidence, and the development of students’ language competence. Moreover, meaning making through interaction and intonation demonstrates that classroom language is multimodal: not only consisting of words, but also prosody, gestures, and social context. The study highlights the pedagogical importance of applying the IRF model and employing rising tones to encourage active involvement in classroom interaction.


Keywords


Interaction Moves; Intonation Pattern; Feedback; Classroom Discourse Analysis

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30659/e.11.2.737-751

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