TY - JOUR
T1 - "Now, is this how we are going to say it?" Comparing teachers' language practices in primary and secondary state education in Cyprus
AU - Ioannidou, Elena
AU - Sophocleous, Andry
PY - 2010/12
Y1 - 2010/12
N2 - This study compares teachers' language use and covert language attitudes in primary and secondary state education in Cyprus. The Ministry of Education and Culture encourages the systematic use of Standard Modern Greek in the formal learning environment of the classroom. Yet, our class observations and teacher interviews demonstrate that the Greek Cypriot Dialect cannot be absolutely eliminated from teachers' language practices. The findings surfacing from the study illustrate a complex and multidimensional conflict between the two language varieties, where the dialect is used vis-à-vis the standard to different extents depending on the occasion of communication in the classroom, teacher's dialect and their covert language attitudes. Despite their differing language attitudes and language use, teachers in primary and secondary school settings commonly employ various correction techniques to promote use of more acrolectal variants in 'standard-dominated' occasions.
AB - This study compares teachers' language use and covert language attitudes in primary and secondary state education in Cyprus. The Ministry of Education and Culture encourages the systematic use of Standard Modern Greek in the formal learning environment of the classroom. Yet, our class observations and teacher interviews demonstrate that the Greek Cypriot Dialect cannot be absolutely eliminated from teachers' language practices. The findings surfacing from the study illustrate a complex and multidimensional conflict between the two language varieties, where the dialect is used vis-à-vis the standard to different extents depending on the occasion of communication in the classroom, teacher's dialect and their covert language attitudes. Despite their differing language attitudes and language use, teachers in primary and secondary school settings commonly employ various correction techniques to promote use of more acrolectal variants in 'standard-dominated' occasions.
KW - Classroom discourse
KW - Greek Cypriot Dialect
KW - Language attitudes
KW - Language in education
KW - Standard Modern Greek
KW - Teachers' language practices
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78649774634&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.linged.2010.08.002
DO - 10.1016/j.linged.2010.08.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:78649774634
SN - 0898-5898
VL - 21
SP - 298
EP - 313
JO - Linguistics and Education
JF - Linguistics and Education
IS - 4
ER -