Interaction and Second Language Development

This volume addresses the role of communicative interaction in driving various dimensions of second language development from the perspective of Vygotskian sociocultural psychology. Emphasizing the dialectical relationship between the external-social world and individual mental functioning, the chapters delve into a wide range of topics illustrating how the social and the individual are united in interaction. Themes include psychological and human mediation, joint action, negotiation for meaning, the role of first language use, embodied and nonverbal behaviors, and interactional competencies. Theoretical discussions and key concepts are reinforced and illustrated with detailed qualitative analyses of interaction in a variety of second language contexts. Each chapter also includes pedagogical recommendations. Supplemental materials or ‘data sessions’ that engage the readers with the themes presented in the book through sample analytic exercises are included, while videos have been made available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/lllt.44.video.

Steve Walsh, Newcastle University:
This book makes an important and original contribution to our understanding of the role of interaction in L2 development. Using a sociocultural theoretical framework and data extracts from L2 classrooms, the author uncovers the mechanisms by which L2 development occurs and explains in an accessible and reader-friendly way how collaborative co-construction is central to the process. Interaction and L2 Development: A Vygotskian Perspective will become a core reference for researchers and students interested in the process of language learning in formal settings.