Communicative Tasks, Conversational Interaction and Linguistic Form: An Empirical Study of Thai1

Abstract

ABSTRACT Second language acquisition (SLA) research suggests that some of the processes that occur during conversational interaction may facilitate second language learning. Carrying out communicative tasks designed to promote these processes can provide learners with the opportunity to focus on linguistic form in the context of meaning. Much of the SLA research on conversational interaction and communicative tasks has been carried out with the more commonly taught languages, such as English or Spanish. This article describes a series of communicative tasks designed for use by learners of Thai as a second or foreign language and reports on a study that tested the tasks' effectiveness at providing opportunities for learners to focus on linguistic form during conversational interaction. Finally, practical issues in the implementation of tasks in L2 classroom and research contexts are discussed.