Linguistic Features of Lecturers' Talk in the English Classroom at UKI Toraja: A Critical Discourse Analysis

This article reports one objective of a qualitative classroom discourse study: to identify and analyze the linguistic features of lecturers' talk in the English classroom at Universitas Kristen Indonesia (UKI) Toraja. The study is grounded in Critical Discourse Analysis because lecturer talk is understood not only as instructional language but also as discourse that organizes classroom authority, participation, and knowledge. Data were drawn from classroom observations, transcript analysis, and lecturer interview evidence. The findings show five dominant linguistic features: directive and instructional language, questioning strategies, repetition and emphasis, code-switching, and evaluative or feedback language. Directive language appeared as the most dominant feature, especially through imperatives, obligation markers, softened directives, inclusive directives, and step-by-step instructional structuring. Questions were used mainly to check comprehension, although referential questions also appeared in discussion segments. Repetition, emphasis, and code-switching supported comprehension, salience, memory, and classroom rapport. Evaluative and corrective feedback encouraged participation while guiding language improvement. Overall, lecturers' talk was pedagogically functional because it promoted clarity, order, and confidence; however, it also tended to maintain lecturer-centered interaction. The article suggests that lecturers combine clear instructional talk with more dialogic follow-up, longer wait time, and wider student responses.