Dynamics in a Mandarin lesson in a British secondary school: Asymmetric power and teacher-student rapport management

Abstract

This study investigates the conversation between a teacher and a group of students in a Mandarin lesson at a secondary school in London. The specific task for that lesson was to nominate a team leader for the presentation of a Chinese city. By applying conversation analysis, this study reveals the asymmetric power between the teacher and students and how the teacher managed the teacher-student rapport in the class. This study also presents the dynamics in the class and the linguistic features of the conversation; the teacher eventually exerted reward, coercive, expert and legitimate power during the lesson. The study focuses on how the teacher-student rapport was challenged concerning students' identities, educational goals, sociality right and obligations. Furthermore, this study reveals that the teacher's questions were more referential than initial and presents how an experienced teacher managed the class and achieved the educational goal.

Teachers’ Perceptions of the Impact of Teacher-Student Rapport on Motivation in the ESL Classroom

“…In addition, Qing, Diamantidaki and Carruthers (2020) states that teachers can also manage the teacher-student rapport in the class by being aware of the asymmetric power between them and by being sensitive to students' identities, educational goals, sociality right, and obligations. Awareness of these factors enables educators to tailor their approaches to meet the specific needs of individual students, ensuring they are treated fairly and equitably while addressing any potential biases or disparities that could hinder their learning experience.…”