Teacher Talk and Learner Response in English Language Classrooms in Kaduna State Secondary Schools

The quality of teacher talk in second language classrooms is a powerful determinant of learner engagement, comprehension, and language development opportunities, yet descriptive studies of teacher talk practices in northern Nigerian secondary schools are limited. This study examines the nature of teacher talk and the corresponding learner response patterns in English language classrooms in selected secondary schools in Kaduna State. Classroom observation data were collected from twelve lessons across four schools using a structured observation instrument adapted from the FLINT coding system, supplemented by audio recording and post-lesson teacher interviews. Teacher talk was classified into categories including lecturing, questioning, feedback, and instruction management, while learner responses were coded for length, initiation frequency, and language choice. Findings indicate that teacher talk dominates the interactional space in all observed lessons, accounting for an average of seventy-three percent of total talk time. Questioning is predominantly of the display type, requiring single-word or short phrase responses, with referential questions that might promote extended learner output occurring rarely. Learner-initiated turns are infrequent and are more common in schools located in urban areas of Kaduna than in rural schools in the study sample. The study argues that the dominance of display questioning restricts learner language production opportunities and recommends that teacher professional development programmes in Kaduna State incorporate training in communicative questioning techniques. Keywords: teacher talk, classroom interaction, English language teaching, Kaduna State, secondary schools.