Classroom Language Use in Tobago: An Examination of Hegemonic and Counter-Hegemonic Forces
Jan 24, 2024 | Views:208569 |
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Classroom Language Use in Tobago: An Examination of Hegemonic and Counter-Hegemonic Forces
by Ms. Nichole FraserLanguage choice in schools is a significant and controversial issue for Caribbean nations formerly colonised by Britain. This research is based on permission granted in 2013 by the Ministry of Education in Trinidad and Tobago for teachers and students to use Creole English in classroom communication to facilitate comprehension; however, this perceived solution is inadequate because it does not get to the core of the problem.
The purpose of this study was to identify, understand, and examine the complexities of everyday classroom interaction with respect to classroom language use, to describe decisions and actions about language use and how they were conceived by teachers, and to obtain a deeper understanding of the teaching-learning process in order to achieve curricular objectives.
This qualitative study followed ethnographic traditions which sought to explore, describe and interpret the language of teachers. Black box theory, postmodern theory and post-colonial theory formed the theoretical framework and a semi-structured questionnaire, observations, and in-depth interviews were used to collect data. The sample consisted of ten (10) participants from two (2) primary schools in Tobago. Interpretive analysis was engaged to identify the hidden meanings in the participants' multiple realities.
The results of the study revealed that the language complexities teachers and students faced daily were related to syntax, semantics and pragmatics, and were rooted in the hegemonic and counter-hegemonic forces operational in classrooms. It was also found that an unstructured transitional bilingual system continues to prevail. It is recommended that a language needs analysis be conducted in each school, and administrative and other necessary support be given to teachers to formalise and implement a culturally relevant model of language use for schools in Tobago.
Wednesday 24th January 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
Ms. NICHOLE FRASER has been an educator for twenty-eight (28) years, with experience at both secondary and tertiary levels. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in English from Andrews University in 1994, she began teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC).
While teaching English Language and English Literature at the high school level, Ms. Fraser also served with the Division of Education, Tobago as Acting Head of Department and Acting Dean of Academics. She later joined the School of Education and Human Sciences at USC in 2005, and served as Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at USC from 2018 to 2021.
Ms. Fraser holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English from Andrews University, USA, a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education - Educational Administration, both from the University of the West Indies (UWI), a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in International Teaching from Framingham State University, USA and a Master of Small and Medium Enterprise Management, from the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business.
Her proposed dissertation focuses on the hegemonic and counter-hegemonic forces that are believed to have engineered and shaped schooling endeavours in the Caribbean context, with particular emphasis on English language education and language development in Tobago. The research will shed new light on teaching and learning across the Caribbean and stimulate awareness of language pedagogy in the classroom.
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