




































ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

1 
 

COMMUNICATIVE CLASSROOM ENGLISH OF  

PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS 
Lalitha Devi B 

Research Scholar, H&SS, NIT Warangal 

Dr Madhavi Kesari 

Professor, H&SS, NIT Warangal 

Dr. Madhumathi P 

Associate Professor, RGNIYD 

 

Abstract 

Classroom language shapes the way teachers communicate/ interact in the 
classroom. Based on medium of Instruction the teacher has to be aware of the 
language phrases and expressions appropriate for the classroom situations. The 
NCF National Curriculum Framework (2005, 2009) of India mentioned the need 
of classroom English for teachers. The importance of classroom communication 
is highlighted in the B.ED. syllabuses prepared by the NCERT (National 
Council for Educational Research and Training) and SCERTs (State Council of 
Educational Research and Training). The present study considers the need for 
classroom English for pre-service teachers before they enter the profession. 
Previous research studies included testing of the classroom English language 
proficiency of in-service teachers of English subject. In addition to that, current 
study focuses on pre-service teachers of all subjects and their awareness of 
classroom English. For this purpose an online test was conducted with 36 pre-
service teachers from different B.Ed. Institutions, Telangana and Andhra 
Pradesh, India. The results indicate that pre-service teachers should be given 
training to raise their awareness of Communicative English language phrases 
and expressions used for different classroom situations such as classroom 

management, content delivery, and feedback. The study has got implications 
for verbal and non-verbal classroom communication, and use of L2 (Second 
language) for classroom purposes.  

Keywords: English classroom, pre-service teachers, communication classroom  

INTRODUCTION 

Students require English language skills to understand information 
available through various sources or for various study purposes till secondary 
level, and for employability at higher education level. Students can slowly build 
their communication skills with peers and teachers when they move from one 
level to another level of education. Their language skills also play a major role 
in this process. Whereas teachers require English language skills to 
communicate with students, to equip students with different strategies and 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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skills, to raise their self-efficacy levels in L2 at primary and secondary levels, 
and also to support students’ employability at higher education level.  

There are different proficiency tests to measure the language proficiency 
of teachers or students in English. Some of them are- ACTFL TEP Test of 
English proficiency, tests based on individual CEFR levels (A2 key, B1 
preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced), TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE. Each of the above 
mentioned tests has a specific purpose to fulfil. In Indian context, the awareness 
of these proficiency tests is less or negligible. Instead, the language learning 
levels of students are assessed through Summative assessment (more) and 
formative assessment (less). With regard to teachers in India, there is a need to 
assess their language skills/ proficiency especially for classroom purposes. 

The main source of language exposure for a student inside the classroom 
for a student is his/her teacher. Whether it is L1 or L2, students learn phrases 
and expressions from their teachers. Teachers need to be trained in using 
language required for classroom situations. Even if the teachers are delivering 
content-rich lessons, they still require the language which directs learners 
towards their goals and set a routine for classroom which will help the teachers 
to conduct the sessions effectively (Ghonsooly et al., 2012). As per (Research & 
(India), 2005), ‘All teachers should have the skills to teach English in ways 
appropriate to their situation and levels based on some knowledge of how 
languages are learnt’. This statement has got a deeper meaning that language 
learning processes should be known to teachers in order to impart the 

knowledge to learners in a practical way. So, using language in a 
communicative way is one of the essential qualities that pre-service teachers 
need to focus upon irrespective of their subject domain (Fu & Wang, 2021). 

In (NCTE, 2009) the importance of language proficiency is given as a 
teacher talks, explains, narrates, asks questions, illustrates, translates, guides, 
instructs, cautions, motivates, encourages and plays various other roles. All of 
these imply an appropriate and context-specific use of language. Concepts, 
constructs, examples are the building blocks of knowledge and all these are 
language-based. This makes the teacher’s language proficiency and 
communication skills critical factors in school education, apart from a sound 
knowledge-base, pedagogical and other professional capacities’. It further 

highlights the importance of providing a practical course to improve the 
context-specific language of teachers.  

Communication classroom related to classroom transactions are 
mentioned in the B.ED. syllabus prepared by NCERT and SCERTs under the 
section ‘classroom discourse’. The lesson plan format mentioned by the 
National Council for Educational Research and Training, India is based on the 
Herbartian method. The lesson plan can include the following processes- 
preparation, presentation, association, generalization, and application. At every 
step teaching and learning process include asking questions, responding to the 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

3 
 

questions and giving instructions related to the activities that learners need to 
perform. It is important to impart in pre-service teachers’ practicum the 
classroom language required to prepare learners to get involved in different 
stages of lesson planning.  

Lesson planning stages Required Instructional language 

Preparation, presentation Managing the classroom 

Association, Generalization, 
Application 

Understanding, communicating lesson 
content, assessing students and giving 
feedback 

Communicative English classroom: 

A teacher cannot just simply give the instructions but has to 
communicate it well, so that the teaching goals and learning goals are met 
properly. This is where even the high levels of proficiency of teachers may not 
be sufficient. The need arises for a communicative classroom English. This idea 
was developed by Donald Freeman. Freeman et al., (2013) presents the report of 
ELTeach programme conducted in 10 countries with 4333 English language 
teachers. The programme covers Functional English and professional 
knowledge in ELT (English Language Teaching). Considering functional 
English, the programme focuses on ‘preview, learn, practice, reflect’ steps 
through which teachers identify the areas to improve regarding classroom 
English, improve on their exposure through course inputs, participate in 
activities and also try to connect this learning to their own classroom situations. 
The assessment of the TEFT (Test of English-for-Teaching) includes various 
tasks developed on the basis of classroom situations. The test contains two parts 
and 140 questions which include multiple-choice questions. The assessment is 
classified around three areas: classroom management, content delivery and 
feedback. Burns (2017) reports the experiences of 4,353 teachers of Vietnam who 
took the English-for-teaching course (EFT course) from 2013 to 2016. The author 
further suggests that the course outcomes from Vietnamese teachers can be 
generalised to south Asian countries where English language is required as part 
of teacher training and English language programmes are included in the 
Teacher Education curriculum.  

Walsh & Li (2013) states the importance of combining teaching goals and 
the language skills to make learners’ learning more effective. Richards (2017) 
mentions that ‘during teaching’ phase a teacher require ‘discourse skills’ such 
as giving instructions, using language required to set daily classroom 
procedures, assigning activities, modelling and so on. Indeed the ‘during 
teaching’ phase is a complex one which need a lot of teacher preparation.  

 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

4 
 

METHODS 

Pre-service teachers from different B.Ed. colleges participated in the 
‘Communicative classroom English’ test. The number of respondents is 36. 
Convenience sampling technique is used to select the participants. The 
respondents are pursuing B.Ed. course in different subjects. They have 
experienced teaching practice as well. The test comprises of 10 questions- 8 
multiple-choice questions and 2 subjective questions.  The test was evaluated 
for 25 marks. For 8 questions out of 10 questions, options are provided and the 
respondents should choose correct option or options. Each correct option carries 
one mark. For remaining two questions, respondents need to write an 
instruction appropriate for the situation. The responses should be 
communicative in nature, clear, simple, use appropriate grammar and 
vocabulary. Each correct answer carries 3 marks. The test is prepared based on 
the content provided in English-for-Teaching handbook (ELTeach 3.0) written 
by Donald Freeman, Anne Katz and Anne Burns. Along with the test 
demographic details of the respondents were also collected. 

FINDINGS 

The demographic details of the participants are served here. Participants are 
from first and second year of B.Ed. course. Participants are from different 
methodologies- physics (n=10), social sciences (n=8), biology (n=10) and English 
(8). Participants are from two B.Ed. institutions (Andhra Pradesh), two B.Ed. 
Institutions (Telangana). Participants are from both rural (n=20) urban (n=16).  

The test consists of questions related to the language used in different 
situations such as classroom management, content delivery, and providing 
feedback. The responses of the pre-service teachers are given. Topics-wise mean 
and SD scores of all the 36 participants is given below. 

Table 1: Topic-wise mean and SD scores 

S.no. Topic Mean scores SD Scores 

1.  Managing the 
classroom 
(4 Q) 9 marks 

3.41 2.04 

2.  Communicating 
classroom content 
(4Q) 7 marks 
 

3.16 1.76 

3.  Giving feedback 
(2Q) 9 marks 

3.19 2.14 

 TOTAL (10Q) 9.75 4.99 

The table given below shows the mean and SD scores of participants (N=36) for 
each question given in the test. 

 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

5 
 

Table 2:  Question-Wise Mean and SD Scores of Participants N=36 

Question  Mean scores SD scores 

1. You want to make some important 
announcements to students regarding 
their time table. What instructions can 
you give?  

1.02 0.73 

2. Write an instruction for the following 
situation- students have to attend 
classes regularly 

0.97 1.25 

3. Student: can you read the instructions 
again  
Teacher: ------------------- 

0.55 0.50 

4. Complete the sentence using the key 
words: any/questions 
Teacher:------------ 
Student: No, I don’t have any questions 

0.86 0.35 

5. You want students to repeat. You 
say----------- 

0.72 0.45 

6. Who------remembers what we talked 
about in the last class? 

0.66 0.47 

7. Which of the following sentences 
communicate goals/objectives of 
teaching?  

0.77 0.63 

8. Write an instruction for the following 
situation- students have to check the 
meaning of the words in dictionary. 

1 1.24 

9. One of your students has not 
performed well in the test. What do you 
say to that student? What instructions 
will you provide? 

1.41 0.93 

10. Which of the following phrases are 
used to motivate students? 

3.18 1.39 

The following table shows the distribution of scores for each topic along with 

the range (Low, medium, high). 

Table 3: Distribution of Scores for All the Three Topics 

Range Managing the 
classroom (9m) 

Communicating 
classroom content 
(7m) 

Giving 
feedback 
(9m) 

Total 
(25 
marks) 

Low 0-3 0-2 0-3 0-8 

Medium 4-6 3-5 4-6 9-16 

High 7-9 6-7 7-9 19-25 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

6 
 

The following table shows the number of participants falling under each range 
(Low, Medium, High). 

Table 4: Distribution of Participants for Each Range 

Range Managing the 
classroom(9m) 

Communicating 
lesson content 
(7m) 

Giving 
feedback 
(9m) 

Total  
M+C+G(25 
marks) 

Low 20 16 27 17 

Medium 13 16 05 15 

High 02 04 03 04 

Total scores of individual participants are provided in the table below: 

Table 5: Participants’ Total Scores 

Participants  Scores 

1 4 

2 13 

3 10 

4 6 

5 11 

6 6 

7 7 

8 5 

9 13 

10 3 

11 5 

12 7 

13 4 

14 5 

15 5 

16 4 

17 9 

18 6 

19 15 

20 12 

21 12 

22 10 

23 5 

24 8 

25 17 

26 13 

27 23 

28 13 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

7 
 

Participants  Scores 

29 5 

30 13 

31 18 

32 16 

33 18 

34 5 

35 12 

36 13 
 

DISCUSSION 

Table 4 shows that pre-service teachers scored lowest in the topic ‘giving 
feedback’ followed by ‘managing the classroom’, and ‘communicating lesson 
content’.  The high score range is shown in ‘communicating lesson content’ area 
followed by ‘giving feedback’ and ‘managing the classroom’. Taken the total 
scores of all the participants, about 17 participants have low score ranges in all 
three areas. Contrastingly only 4 participants have shown high performance in 
all three areas. Table 5 shows that only one teacher trainee scored the highest 
mark that is 23, and the lowest score is 3 marks. 

As the data reveals, pre-service teachers have low levels of awareness 
with regard to classroom English. Out of 36, only 4 participants had shown 
higher levels of awareness in all three aspects of classroom English. A total of 15 
participants had shown medium levels of awareness and 17 participants had 
shown lower levels of awareness in all three aspects of classroom English. Only 
one participant scored 23 out of 25 in the test.  

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 

The test results revealed that pre-service teachers require language 
support. It will be helpful to them if they are trained in language phrases and 
expressions needed for classroom contexts through role-plays and 
presentations. The study suggests that along with verbal aspects, non-verbal 
aspects of the communication such as tone, voice, pronunciation should be 
given emphasis. This will improve the confidence levels of trainee teachers in 
handling classroom sessions.  

REFERENCES 

Burns, A. (2017). Classroom English proficiency: What can be learned from the 
Vietnam experience. Developing Classroom English Competence: Learning from 
the Vietnam Experience, 84–94. 

Freeman, D., Katz, A., LeDréan, L., Burns, A., & Hauck, M. (2013). The ELTeach 
Project—Report on the Global Pilot, 2012. Boston, MA: National Geographic 



ELTALL (English language teaching, applied linguistics 

and Literature) 

Vol. 4 No. 02, 2023  
Available online at https://jurnal.iainponorogo.ac.id/index.php/eltall 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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Learning. 

Fu, Y., & Wang, J. (2021). Assessing Mainstream Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-
Efficacy to Teach English Language Learners. International Journal of 

Instruction, 14(3), 153–174. 

Ghonsooly, B., Khajavy, G. H., & Asadpour, S. F. (2012). Willingness to 

communicate in English among Iranian non–English major university 
students. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 31(2), 197–211. 

NCTE. (2009). National curriculum framework for teacher education. National 

Council for Teacher Education New Delhi, India. 

Research, N. C. of E., & (India), T. (2005). National curriculum framework 2005. 

National Council of Educational Research and Training. 

Richards, J. C. (2017). Teaching English through English: Proficiency, pedagogy 
and performance. RELC Journal, 48(1), 7–30. 

Walsh, S., & Li, L. (2013). Conversations as space for learning. International 
Journal of Applied Linguistics, 23(2), 247–266. 

 

 

   

 

 

 


