Interactional patterns in the online language classroom: a quantitative analysis across proficiency levels and lesson types

Abstract

Online second language instruction has boomed in recent years, aided by technological affordances and the forced changes in instructional modality resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This transformation has underscored the critical role of interaction in online pedagogy. Research suggests that increasing opportunities for interaction between students and instructors is essential for fostering second language acquisition (SLA). However, little research exists quantifying the production of diverse types of interaction in online language instruction, particularly among experienced instructors. The present study utilizes an interactionist framework to perform a quantitative analysis of interaction in online Spanish language coursework, categorized according to interaction initiation type: Instructor-Prompted Participation (IPP), Unprompted Oral Participation (UOP), Unprompted Text Participation (UTP), i.e., chat usage, and interaction length (as exhibited by both the number of student turns in an interaction and the average length of those turns). Data includes 18 h of video recordings of synchronous L2 Spanish language instruction across proficiency levels and lesson types at a distance-learning university in the UK. Lesson types included grammar workshops and exam preparation. Results show that the interactional patterns in online language courses are influenced by proficiency level and lesson type. Lower proficiency students engaged in interaction routines more frequently, while the ability to engage in extended discourse was contingent upon the specific activity/lesson type. The study helps address the dearth of research on interaction and language teaching in languages other than English (LOTE).