Looking for Evidence of Language Learning in Practices for Repair: A Case Study of Self‐Initiated Self‐Repair by an Adult Learner of English

Abstract

This paper uses methods from conversation analysis to investigate a well‐documented practice from mundane conversation (self‐initiated self‐repair) as it is accomplished during the interactions of one adult learner of English. The interactions took place during her classroom talk‐in‐interaction over the course of 18 months. The research describes the placement of repair initiations, the production practices used for initiation and repair, the activity contexts within which the repairs took place, and how the production of repair might give us a clue to emerging syntactic organization of language learners. By focusing on participant‐relevant language practices like self‐initiated self‐repair this research will add to socio‐cultural understandings of language learning and addresses the call for more longitudinal research in the area.