Community of Learners, Carnival, and Participation in a Punjabi Sikh Classroom

Abstract

This paper examines classroom activities engaged in by more and less experienced speakers of English and discusses how relationships between those speakers are implicated in their speech activities. The pivotal role of social interaction in learning has been well formulated by sociocultural researchers, including Vygotsky (1978) and, more recently, Rogoff (1994). Bakhtin's (1984) notion of carnival also contributes to our discussion of how social relations in this particular Punjabi Sikh classroom facilitate or constrain the participation of classroom members. Three occa-sions in the life of this Grade 1 classroom are examined: a common, teacher-directed interaction (IRE sequence); an excerpt of children at play; and a playful interaction between an adult and a group of children. This study suggests that a certain type of adult participation may facilitate opportunities for children's participation in community activities and for learning.

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