Language Moments in Second Language Interaction: Relevance of Understanding to Learning

Abstract

Interactional modification is important in SLA research because it involves correcting problematic L2 use. However, not all modifications will lead to pedagogical changes. Participants in conversational interactions are not always oriented to linguistic forms or functions. One way to address this dilemma is to examine the process by which participants come to terms with problematic L2 use in interactional exchanges. “Language moments” refer to cases in which L2 forms and functions are objects of interactive exchanges in L2 interactions. Through conversation analysis, the present study uncovered four different types in which participants in L2 interaction discovered and acted on language moments in terms of the degree of explicitness in recognizing and addressing problematic L2 use. This study used data from ESL classroom interactions that featured native teachers of English and L2 learners in an US context. This descriptive account of interactional processes might complement prior research studies that have focused on effects of interactional modification.