Request for permission to Switch to L1: Treatment for unlocatable problems in English medium of instruction classrooms

Abstract

This study illustrates a particular interactional practice that students deploy to initiate language alternation to their first language (L1) in English medium of instruction (EMI) classrooms. Specifically, the study focuses on the students’ request for permission to switch to L1 (i.e., “can I speak in Japanese?”) that is observed in the middle of repair operations. The utterance is designed to invite the teachers’ “go-ahead” as a preferred response. Although the formulation of the students’ request indicated that their interactional troubles were caused by their linguistic incapability in English (i.e., their limited English-speaking skills), conversation analysis revealed that they were caused by their misalignment in the given certain sequential environment. Based on the findings, the study highlights a critical issue in EMI classrooms, where participants share theirL1.