Phatic language elements used by teachers to maintain contact in the dialogues of online synchronous and in-person classes

Abstract

Studies analysing classroom discourse have been investigating the nature of effective teacher communication for decades; however, the linguistic tools teachers use to maintain mental connection and mutual attention remain an under-researched area to this day. This study explores the linguistic features of phatic teacher communication used to sustain interpersonal connection through an analysis of dialogue excerpts from 8 synchronous online and in-person lessons. The findings present the specific language elements through which teachers maintain connection with their students, illustrating the pragmatic functions of phatic communication with numerous examples. The results also address the relationship between teachers’ phatic communication and student speech. Both the quantitative data and linguistic examples provided in the study may be useful for teacher education students, teacher trainees, and practicing teachers alike, as they can support professional communicative self-reflection regarding the maintenance of classroom connections. Additionally, the findings may serve as a basis for teachers to develop conscious discourse strategies that help engage students more effectively in classroom interaction.