Signalling non‐comprehensions in the classroom: Toward a descriptive typology

Abstract

This paper focuses on strategies that students use to signal non‐comprehension problems in classrooms. A series of weekly observations was conducted to identify verbal strategies that students use to deal with difficulties understanding teacher messages. A framework for isolating strategies in bi‐lingual conversations was applied and found to be useful in analyzing three types of non‐comprehension signals. Implications of both the framework and signalling strategies are discussed.