Engaging with language play: practices of Korean English teachers in elementary classrooms

Abstract This study investigates the use of language play by Korean teachers of English as a foreign language in elementary classrooms. While previous research has extensively explored language play by learners, this paper shifts focus to teachers’ engagement with language play, including their own usage and responses to students’ language play. Utilizing the “Engagement with Language” (EWL) framework, the study meticulously analyzes classroom discourse across seven elementary schools in South Korea. We examined 83 forty-minute lessons and conducted semi-structured interviews with seven Korean English teachers to categorize their use of language play into four distinct types: initiation, acceptance, non-responsiveness, and refusal. Findings indicate that teachers’ approaches to language play impact students’ language learning and engagement within the EWL framework. The study highlights important pedagogical implications, suggesting that teachers’ conscious use of language play can enhance language acquisition and classroom interaction. Furthermore, these insights offer a new perspective for teacher training programs, emphasizing the strategic integration of language play into pedagogical practices to foster more dynamic and effective language learning environments.