14. Interaction in conversation groups
-
Nicole Ziegler
Abstract
This exploratory study examines the potential learning opportunities of interactions in the naturalistic setting of a German conversation group. Eleven intermediate L2 German learners participated in weekly conversation groups, which were recorded and then transcribed. In addition, information regarding learners’ perceptions, confidence, and willingness to communicate was obtained by means of self-report surveys and interviews. A discourse analytic approach indicated that learners’ styles were more passive or active depending on their ability to identify and use, consciously or unconsciously, German conversational style in the group interactions. These findings suggest that interaction in L2 conversation groups can play an important role in providing learners with opportunities to acquire native-like conversational styles and structures in an environment representative of authentic, real world conversational contexts.
Abstract
This exploratory study examines the potential learning opportunities of interactions in the naturalistic setting of a German conversation group. Eleven intermediate L2 German learners participated in weekly conversation groups, which were recorded and then transcribed. In addition, information regarding learners’ perceptions, confidence, and willingness to communicate was obtained by means of self-report surveys and interviews. A discourse analytic approach indicated that learners’ styles were more passive or active depending on their ability to identify and use, consciously or unconsciously, German conversational style in the group interactions. These findings suggest that interaction in L2 conversation groups can play an important role in providing learners with opportunities to acquire native-like conversational styles and structures in an environment representative of authentic, real world conversational contexts.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Preface xi
-
Part I. Interactions in L2 classrooms
- 1. Promoting attention to form through task repetition in a Korean EFL context 3
- 2. Language-related episodes during collaborative tasks 25
- 3. The impact of increasing task complexity on L2 pragmatic moves 45
- 4. Tasks and traditional practice activities in a foreign language context 71
- 5. Building explicit L2 Spanish knowledge through guided induction in small group and whole class interaction 89
- 6. Classroom interaction and learning opportunities across time and space 109
-
Part II. Interactions involving technology
- 7. The cyber language exchange 129
- 8. Using eye tracking as a measure of foreign language learners’ noticing of recasts during computer-mediated writing conferences 147
- 9. A corpus approach to studying structural convergence in task-based Spanish L2 interactions 167
- 10. Preemptive feedback in CALL 189
- 11. Learner perceptions of clickers as a source of feedback in the classroom 209
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Part III. Interactions in other educational settings
- 12. International engineering graduate students’ interactional patterns on a paired speaking test 227
- 13. The effectiveness of interactive group orals for placement testing 247
- 14. Interaction in conversation groups 269
- 15. Language production opportunities during whole-group interaction in conversation group settings 293
- Appendix 315
- Index 317
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Preface xi
-
Part I. Interactions in L2 classrooms
- 1. Promoting attention to form through task repetition in a Korean EFL context 3
- 2. Language-related episodes during collaborative tasks 25
- 3. The impact of increasing task complexity on L2 pragmatic moves 45
- 4. Tasks and traditional practice activities in a foreign language context 71
- 5. Building explicit L2 Spanish knowledge through guided induction in small group and whole class interaction 89
- 6. Classroom interaction and learning opportunities across time and space 109
-
Part II. Interactions involving technology
- 7. The cyber language exchange 129
- 8. Using eye tracking as a measure of foreign language learners’ noticing of recasts during computer-mediated writing conferences 147
- 9. A corpus approach to studying structural convergence in task-based Spanish L2 interactions 167
- 10. Preemptive feedback in CALL 189
- 11. Learner perceptions of clickers as a source of feedback in the classroom 209
-
Part III. Interactions in other educational settings
- 12. International engineering graduate students’ interactional patterns on a paired speaking test 227
- 13. The effectiveness of interactive group orals for placement testing 247
- 14. Interaction in conversation groups 269
- 15. Language production opportunities during whole-group interaction in conversation group settings 293
- Appendix 315
- Index 317
