A study was conducted to determine (1) whether teachers see a need for or value interaction in the classroom, (2) what methods they use to encourage interaction, (3) how much interaction actually occurs in high school English classrooms, and (4) what factors or methods encourage or discourage interaction. The study involved five high school teachers observed in the same class on consecutive days. The classes were audiotaped, as were interviews before and after the observation period. The results indicated that teachers saw a need for and tried to encourage interaction and that a wide range of interaction occurred in these classes, with different emphases on class discussion, individual presentations, small group interaction, and lecturing. The findings suggested specific factors or methods that tend to encourage or discourage interaction. The use of individual student presentations and student-led small group discussions may have contributed to higher levels of interaction. Teachers' questioning patterns during class discussions encouraged or discouraged interaction, depending on the ratio of teacher talk to student response and the nature of the questions. Finally, the activities used to introduce a specific piece of literature were critical to the level of interaction in the classroom. (HTH)