Educators’ use of commanding language to direct infants’ behaviour: relationship to educators’ qualifications and implications for language learning opportunities

Abstract

Educators' use of commanding language to direct infants' behaviour: Relationship to educators' qualifications and implications for language learning opportunitiesThis study investigated the manner in which 56 infant educators used language to direct the behaviour of infants (defined as children aged birth to two years), on the basis that the ways in which educators frame their commands represent an important component of young children's learning experiences. Underpinned by systemic functional linguistic theory, the study analysed the frequency and type of command produced by educators with university, diploma and certificate qualifications. Suggestive and indirect commands convey a sense of negotiation, as if the addressees' subjective opinions and thoughts are considered, while nonsuggestive and direct commands foreground the speakers' power and authority. The findings demonstrate that commands feature frequently in educators' talk to infants, with nonsuggestive and direct commands being most commonly used. Individual differences were related to the qualifications of staff. University qualified early childhood teachers used significantly fewer nonsuggestive and direct commands than did diploma and certificate qualified educators, and they were more likely to provide infants with a reason for the command. These findings have implications for the way in which learning opportunities are created by the language that educators use, and for the overall quality of infant early childhood programs.

Reasoning as a Pedagogical Strategy in Infant-Addressed Talk in Early Childhood Education Centres: Relationships with Educators’ Qualifications and Communicative Function

“…Perhaps the most informative findings from the study were the interaction effects of communicative function, qualification and reasoning type, which demonstrated that, when regulating children's behaviour, higher-qualified educators, used more logical and social reasoning talk than lesser qualified educators. This finding echoes previous research exploring educators' use of commanding language when directing infants' behaviours, which found that bachelor qualified educators were more likely to supplement their commands with reasons, compared with diploma and certificate III qualified educators Hu et al (2017). While some research has downplayed the learning potential of regulatory talk with very young children (Girolametto, Weitzman, Lieshout, & Duff, 2000;Halle & Shatz, 1994), this finding demonstrates that well-qualified educators appear well versed to capitalise on the educative potential of this type of talk.…”

“…Firstly, our findings add to a growing body of work that draws attention to the different quantities and qualities of facilitative talk in ECEC settings (e.g., Degotardi et al, 2018;Dickenson et a., 2014;Hu et al, 2017;National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research, 2000;Vernon-Feagans & Bratsch-Hines, 2013) Within this context, when educators recognise the educational affordances of reasoning talk, they can increase children's learning opportunities through more frequent use of this type of talk.…”

“…Specifically, mothers who held post-secondary professional qualifications tending to use more reasoning talk based on logical rules in their daily conversations with their children than those who completed high school as their highest educational level. Likewise, in ECEC centres, Hu, Torr, Degotardi and Han (2017) found that university-qualified educators were more likely to supplement their directives with reasons, compared with diploma and certificate qualified educators. These findings lead us to predict that higher qualified educators will use more reasoning talk than their less qualified counterparts.…”

How ‘shared’ is shared reading: Book-focused infant–educator interactions in long day-care centres

“…The use of direct imperatives foregrounds the educators' power and authority, positioning the infants as ones whose options are either to comply or ignore the educator's commands. In examples 4 and 5, however, the educators' use of indirect commands subtly suggests that infants have some discretion as to whether or not to comply, creating a more conversational tone (Hu et al, 2019).…”

Infant Educators’ Use of Pedagogical Questioning: Relationships With the Context of Interaction and Educators’ Qualifications

“…while placing apple on the child's plate) and formulaic expressions (e.g., Pardon?) (Hasan, 1996;Hu, Torr, Degotardi, & Han, 2017). When educators use questioning as a pedagogical strategy, they are simultaneously supporting children's language development, and their ability to learn how to use language as a vehicle for learning (Davis & Torr, 2015).…”