Directness, Indirectness and Deference in the Language of Classroom Management: Advice for Teacher Trainees?

Abstract

The pragmatic & pedagogic issues involved in the second-language (L2) teacher trainee's choice of direct & indirect management directions are considered. The notion of indirectness is defined & linked to politeness in requests. The perception of deference in request utterances is influenced by internal modifications. Social situations requiring tact are contrasted with those that are considered "standard situations" & have predetermined request forms, often using imperatives & the please marker. Implications for educational contexts are addressed. Three case studies from secondary schools in Lisbon are presented to demonstrate teacher trainees' frequency of requests, & the use of styles of imperatives, declaratives, & interrogatives with different levels of directness. Each case study is evaluated for teaching effectiveness. Teacher trainees are advised to use more direct directives when speaking to students, & approaches to management, modeling, & developing pragmatic competence are discussed.