Bringing Narrative Discourse to the Field

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This chapter reports on the author’s preliminary exploration with other educators of narrative discourse data elicited from her work as a second language instructor and researcher. In her original study (Kahn, Narrative discourse in the second-language classroom. In Grujicic-Alatriste (Ed.), Linking discourse studies to professional practice (pp. 153–175). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2015), the author drew upon Vygotskyan Sociocultural Theory (SCT) to create open-ended storytelling tasks for adult English as a Second Language students and studied the task-based discourse using conversation analysis. Data found one student’s narrative to be a joint production, developed through supportive means provided by her teacher and classmates. Underscoring the value of merging theory and practice through praxis (Lantolf & Poehner, Sociocultural theory and the pedagogical imperative in L2 education. New York: Routledge, 2014), the objective in examining excerpts from these narrative data with other second language or L2 educators was to explore how SCT concepts might be used as a guide for instruction. Kahn describes the steps she took to apply Grujicic-Alatriste’s (Framework for application of research findings: An introduction. In Grujicic-Alatriste (Ed.), Linking discourse studies to professional practice (pp. 1–22). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2015) dissemination framework, including samples of tools she employed such as emails and handouts. She also explores a central issue that challenged the dissemination project—time—from the logistics of scheduling workshop sessions with educators to the importance of responding to participants’ needs. Kahn concludes by calling for an approach to application whereby discourse analysts would ask teachers to tell their own stories emerging from their places of practice.