Peer Talk Research Articles

The effect of foreigner talk on children’s evaluations of addressees

Children evaluate others based on how they speak, but do children evaluate others based on how they are spoken to? We examined how U.S. children and adults (N = 170 5- to 10-year-olds, 49 % female; 107 adults; in a city with a foreign population of 17.9 %) evaluated addressees of Foreigner Talk (i.e., slow, loud, simplified speech). In Study 1, children and adults evaluated Foreigner Talk addressees more negatively than Peer Talk or Teacher Talk addressees. In Study 2, adults and older children incorporated Foreigner Talk with additional contextual cues to inform their evaluations: a local peer receiving Foreigner Talk received lower evaluations than a foreign peer receiving Foreigner Talk. With medium to large effect sizes, these studies indicate the importance of speech register in children’s social inferences.

Improving participation equity in dialogic collaborative problem solving: A participatory visual learning analytical approach

AbstractBackgroundThe existing research on dialogue‐based learning and teaching predominantly highlights its capacity to yield productive educational outcomes, yet it often overlooks the pivotal factor of participation equity, which is fundamental to ensuring the efficacy of dialogic teaching and learning.ObjectivesIn this study, participation equity refers to a condition in which participation itself and opportunities to participate are fairly distributed among participants and all participants are equally listened to and respected. We designed a technology‐enhanced participatory visual learning analytical approach to promote equitable participation in dialogic collaborative problem solving from four dimensions: participation (i.e., ensuring equal contributions from all participants), opportunity (i.e., promoting equal engagement with others), responsiveness (i.e., encouraging equal attentiveness and responsiveness to others' input), and respect (i.e., cultivating a respectful communication style).MethodsThe intervention class of fourth‐grade students (n = 59) interacted with a participatory visual learning analytical tool to reflect on their participation equity and learn productive peer talk moves to address equity issues concerning the four dimensions, while a comparison class (n = 59) only received simple feedback on participation and respect.ResultsThe results indicated that equal participation rates among group members were insufficient to secure participation equity. The intervention was effective in helping students realize and address equity‐related issues. Intervention students were more equitable regarding responsiveness and participation opportunity than the comparison students.ConclusionsThe proposed multidimensional participation equity framework has the potential to deepen the understanding of equity and promote equitable learning interactions.

Teaching talk for thinking: The efficacy of a peer talk teaching program for improving group thinking

When a group of individuals collaboratively consider about something, they are engaged in what is referred to as group thinking. Effective group thinking is typically characterized by high-quality peer talk in which students may or may not spontaneously engage. Despite routinely providing students with multiple opportunities for collaboration, teachers rarely provide explicit instructions on effective peer talk. This study developed a teaching-talk-for-thinking program for fourth-grade students and examined its efficacy by comparing an intervention class (both learning talking and practicing collaboration) with a comparison class (only practicing collaboration). The results showed significant differences between the two classes in collaborative discourse, but not in group thinking test scores. Successful groups from the two classes improved their group thinking in contrasting manners; as a dialogue-orientated group culture emerged in the intervention class, but not in the comparison class. The study demonstrated the impact of the program in promoting the interdependence of individual members which is difficult to spontaneously learn through practice. However, further research is needed to determine if additional teaching of productive peer talk can better improve group thinking skills than accumulation of collaboration experience alone.

Frequency of word usage by Hebrew preschoolers: implications for AAC core vocabulary

This study’s goal was to inform the selection of the most frequently used words to serve as a reference for core vocabulary selection for Hebrew-speaking children who require AAC. The paper describes the vocabulary used by 12 Hebrew-speaking preschool children with typical development in two different conditions: peer talk, and peer talk with adult mediation. Language samples were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the CHILDES (Child Language Data Exchange System) tools to identify the most frequently used words. The top 200 lexemes (all variations of a single word) in the peer talk and adult-mediated peer talk conditions accounted for 87.15% (n = 5008 tokens) and 86.4% (n = 5331 tokens) of the total tokens produced in each language sample (n = 5746, n = 6168), respectively. A substantially overlapping vocabulary of 337 lexemes accounted for up to 87% (n = 10411) of the tokens produced in the composite list (n = 11914). The results indicate that a relatively small set of words represent a large proportion of the words used by the preschoolers across two different conditions. General versus language-specific implications for core vocabulary selection for children in need of AAC devices are discussed.

Patterns of peer talk in consensus-oriented classrooms: Deliberative argumentation or rush toward consensus?

In this study, we investigate peer talk in consensus-oriented first-grade classrooms. Earlier research has shown that the quality of argumentation improves when students argue to agree, because it steers the students toward patterns of argumentation that support the exploration and elaboration of perspectives that is typical of deliberative argumentation. Using multi-modal argumentation analysis, we identify four patterns in the peer talk. First, the students invoked consensus when the conversation developed in a direction that was not in accordance with their understanding of the task instructions. Second, the students tended to delegate the authority to decide what the group will answer. Third, the students searched for the lowest common denominator, looking for a common element in their individual answers. Fourth, the students put the decision to a vote, going with the majority and ignoring the perspectives of the minority. We argue that these patterns illustrate a general tendency for the students to rush toward a conclusion. Accordingly, we argue that younger students need a more explicit instructional design by the teacher to support exploration and elaboration of different perspectives.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Productive Peer Talk Moves

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Productive Peer Talk Moves

Illustrating linguistic dexterity in “English mostly” spaces: how translanguaging can support academic writing in secondary ELA classrooms

PurposeLittle research has been done exploring the nature of multilingual students who are not categorized as English language learners (ELLs) in English language arts (ELA) classes. This study about a group of multilingual girls in an ELA class led by a monolingual white teacher aims to show how, when a teacher makes space for translanguaging practices in ELA, multilingual students disrupt norms of English only.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use reconstructive discourse analysis to understand translanguaging across a variety of linguistic productions for a group of four focal students. Data sources include fieldnotes from 29 classroom observations, writing samples and process documents and 8.5 h of recorded classroom discourse.FindingsStudents used multilingualism across a variety of discourse modes, frequently in spoken language and rarely in written work. Translanguaging was most present in small-group peer talk structures, where students did relationship building, generated ideas for writing and managed their writing agendas, including feelings about writing. In addition, Spanish served as “elevated vocabulary” in writing. Across discourse modes, translanguaging served to develop academic proficiency in writing.Originality/valueThe authors proposed a more expansive approach to data analysis in English-mostly cases – i.e. environments shaped by multilingual students in monolingual school contexts – to argue for anti-deficit approaches to literacy development for multilingual students. Analyzing classroom talk alongside literacy allows for a more nuanced understanding of translanguaging practices in academic writing. They also show how even monolingual teachers can disrupt monolingual hegemony in ELA classrooms with high populations of multilingual students.

Promoting L2 writing development via a concept-based approach to teaching genre: A sociocultural intervention study in Chinese EFL writing classrooms

This article investigates the effect of concept-based instruction (CBI), a pedagogy based on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, on second language (L2) learners’ writing development. A quasi-experimental intervention lasting 16 weeks was conducted involving 88 first-year Chinese university students of English. The participants were assigned to three conditions: Full CBI (F-CBI) treatment, Partial CBI (P-CBI) treatment (i.e. CBI without peer–peer talk) and control. A definition task and two writing tasks (a narrative and an argumentative task) were used to measure students’ knowledge and understanding of genre and their writing performance, respectively. The results indicated that the F-CBI intervention generated significantly larger gains in learners’ understanding of genre as well as their overall writing performance than did the control group. In addition, a significant difference was also observed between the F-CBI group and the P-CBI group in the definition task and the argumentative task, which further suggests that peer–peer talk plays a crucial role in enhancing learners’ conceptual development. This study highlights the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating CBI in L2 writing instruction and the importance of engaging learners to talk through their understanding and use of concepts in the classroom. Theoretical contributions to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of mind are also discussed.

ITalk–iSee: A participatory visual learning analytical tool for productive peer talk

iTalk–iSee: A participatory visual learning analytical tool for productive peer talk

Challenges and opportunities for cervical screening in women over the age of 50 years: a qualitative study.

Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. Cases in women age >50 years are predicted to rise by 60% in the next two decades, yet this group are less likely to attend for screening than younger women. To seek novel solutions to the challenges of cervical screening in women >50 years of age by examining practitioner and service-user experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 practitioners and 24 service users >50 years of age, recruited via UK primary care networks in Northern England in 2016-2017, to explore experiences related to cervical screening. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted to explore the data. Findings are presented under three key themes. The first, exploring the barriers to successful cervical screening, examines the influences of sexuality and early experiences of screening on attendance, and how preventive health care becomes a low priority as women age. The second, the role of relationships, explores how peer talk shapes attitudes towards cervical screening, how teamwork between practitioners engenders investment in cervical screening, and how interactions between service users and primary care over time can significantly affect intentions to screen. The third, what constitutes good practice, describes practical and sensitive approaches to screening tailored to women aged >50 years. Good practice involves attention to structural and practical challenges, and an understanding of the role of relationships in shaping screening intentions. Experienced practitioners adapt procedures to increase sensitivity, and balance time invested in problem solving against the benefits of reaching practice targets for attendance. Building networks of expertise across multiple practices can increase practitioner skill in screening this age group.

Children's discussions about texts: Integrating and evaluating practices

This paper examines how primary school students discuss deeper comprehension and evaluation of text, while involved in dialogic reading in the context of inquiry learning. It takes a conversation analytic perspective on reading for understanding and critical reading. Analysis of the conversational details of peer talk, revealed how students collaboratively construct deeper meaning of text and take a more critical stance toward the text by means of integrating and evaluating actions. We found that how students understand and interpret the text, is reflected in different types of integrating practices they use: comparing text components with previous knowledge, giving additional information, applying information from the text to the present interactional situation. Evaluating practices, on the other hand, are also based on integrating actions, but they display an explicit critical stance to the text as well

Male Peer Talk About Menstruation: Discursively Bolstering Hegemonic Masculinities Among Young Men in South Africa

In this paper, we show how male peer talk about menstruating women may be used to discursively bolster hegemonic masculinities and denigrate women. Focus group discussions among 37 young isiXhosa-speaking men from two South African schools were facilitated by two young men; statements garnered from a sexuality education class about menstruation conducted in the same schools were used as cues. Data were analyzed using discourse analysis. The interactive talk constructed a bifurcation: “disgusting” menstruating women versus “reasonable” non-menstruating women who abide by idealized feminine behavior and are available sexually. We argue that as the non-menstruating woman cyclically become the other (menstruating woman) in women of particular ages, the trace of disgust inhabits the signifier “woman” for these men. Menstruation also disrupted a core identity strategy of local hegemonic masculinities: virile (hetero)sexuality. Given this, discursive distancing of the self from the very topic of menstruation is necessary. Small moments of resistance to these constructions were quickly closed down, and caring masculinity emerged only in the context of negotiating sex during menstruation. Involving men in menstrual hygiene management programs may provide spaces for resistance to denigrating discourses about menstruation.

Using Categories to Assert Authority in Murrinhpatha-Speaking Children’s Talk

ABSTRACT Children, like speakers more generally, often use categories of person, place, and activity (e.g., doctor, school, bedtime) to frame and monitor interactions among themselves. This article explores the use of categories by a group of Murrinhpatha-speaking Aboriginal children in Wadeye, northern Australia, when attempting to assert authority. The creation and negotiation of power asymmetries are a common feature of children’s peer talk worldwide but analyzed here for the first time among speakers of a traditional Australian language. Analysis suggests that although there are similarities with children from other sociocultural/linguistic contexts, there are differences in these children’s choice of membership categories (e.g., husband, country) and how they deploy and react to them (e.g., by ambiguity and by silence respectively). Such differences highlight the connection between language, society, and the interactional resources available to speakers as well as reinforcing the merit of studying membership categorization in children’s talk. Data in Murrinhpatha with English translation.

Conceptualization and operationalization of group thinking sustainability in dialogic collaborative problem solving

Peer talk shapes the trajectory of group thinking. Studies have explored productive peer talk moves that can facilitate high-order group thinking, yet few have focused on the extent to which students consecutively take up these talk moves to sustain group thinking. There is no consensus on how to understand or measure the sustainability of productive peer talk. This study establishes a construct to help characterize a group's capacity to consecutively engage in high-order collective thinking and to investigate the impact of such sustainability on group outcomes. The proposed construct, group thinking sustainability (GTS), was conceptualized as a three-level nested hierarchy (comprised of reciprocity, productivity, and constructiveness) and further operationalized as the average length of a corresponding overt turn-taking sequence in group discussions. This study applied this construct to a sample of 168 primary school students who were divided into groups of four and asked to collaboratively solve three mathematical problems within 30 minutes. The results revealed that GTS can help characterize and differentiate a group's capacity to sustain productive peer talk. GTS can also help predict group outcomes and explain why some groups were more successful than others. This study provides novel insights into understanding and measuring GTS across groups. It also suggests a three-level scaffolding (i.e., turn-taking, productive talk, and knowledge construction) that teachers can use to support sustainable group thinking in collaborative peer talk.

“Thought provoking”, “interactive”, and “more like a peer talk”: Testing the deliberative interview style in Germany

Proponents of the newly-developed “deliberative interview” argue that examining complex issues requires more dynamic and engaging interview exchanges. Unlike traditional qualitative interviews, deliberative interviewing champions opinion sharing, active debates and similar speaking times by both sides throughout the interview. Drawing on 20 interviews with health experts in Germany, we examined the process and outcome of deliberative versus conventional interviews on the topic of informed consent. The deliberative interview expedited clarity on the issue, led to more nuanced discussion and generated more knowledge overall, but was challenging because it broke the mold for traditional interviewing. Alignment in terms of gender, age, personality and professional background facilitated rapport, regardless of interview style. To manage expectations, we recommend a thorough, perhaps video-based explanation of the deliberative style prior to the interview. Deliberative interviews can bolster knowledge generation for complex issues and can be applied in public health and beyond.

L2 use of pragmatic markers in peer talk: Mandarin utterance-final particles

Abstract This mixed-methods study investigates how Mandarin L1 and L2 speakers use final-utterance particles to negotiate difference and affect. Utilizing a corpus consisting of spontaneous conversations between American study abroad students and their Chinese peers in shared dorm rooms, the focus here is a set of utterance-final pragmatic particles that are multifunctional in Mandarin spoken discourse. This study combines a corpus-based approach with qualitative discourse analysis to reveal differences between L1 and L2 speakers in terms of frequency and pragmatic functions in the discourse context. The findings show that utterance-final pragmatic particles were among the most silent lexical differences between L1 and L2 speakers. Significant differences between the two groups are found in the use of every particle. Qualitative results reveal how L1 speakers use the particles to negotiate intercultural differences and manage interpersonal relationship, while L2 learners’ use of them was limited in terms of variety and function.

Translanguaging or code-switching?

Abstract The emergence of “translanguaging” as a concept referring to bilingual practices has challenged the appropriateness of “code-switching” – the term that has been most influential in studies of bilingualism and language mixing. Reassessing the literature on Cantonese-English mixing in Hong Kong, this paper suggests that the kind of spontaneous code-switching in peer talk, largely intra-sentential (or intra-clausal) and intra-turn, can indeed be recast as translanguaging, where speakers transcend language boundaries between Cantonese and English for the purpose of meaning-making. Nevertheless, Hong Kong speakers do constantly draw language boundaries by marking words as English or Cantonese, both in metalinguistic judgment and in real-time language production. Revisiting an unpublished dataset of radio talk, this paper further illustrates a number of sequences in which Cantonese speakers may “languagise” the code-switched words or expressions as “English”. It is concluded that, in a Conversation-Analytic understanding, the difference between “translanguaging” and “code-switching” boils down to “languagising”, and the contrast between the two notions may have been overstated.

Developing motivated adolescent readers and enhancing student voice, using action research in disadvantaged contexts

This action research study, drawing on participatory frameworks, investigated whether a Year 10 English class (15–16-year-olds), including struggling readers, could develop their reading self-concept and ‘voice’. The research aimed to extend findings from a larger, mixed-method study, developing reading comprehension and motivation with younger adolescents, conducted in the south-east of England. Set in an urban state school in a deprived area, the present 12-week study aimed to explore, first, the impact on students of an evolving reading model, emphasizing motivation, extended reading, peer talk and use of metacognitive, multiple strategies. Second, it explored the effects of students engaging, loosely, as ‘co-researchers’, co-constructing knowledge with their teacher and reflecting on reading and pedagogy, in terms of ‘voice’ and agency. The primarily qualitative study combined open-response, student questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, written reflections on reading, and a teacher/researcher journal. Using the ‘constant comparative’ data-analysis method, the study found that students enhanced their reading self-concept, and developed their ‘voice’. However, unpredictably, reading confidence was threatened by students’ internalized discourses about performativity and feelings of anxiety and lack of agency, attributed to ‘high-stakes’ public examinations nearly two years away.

Symmetries and asymmetries in children's peer-group reading discussions

This paper reports a research project exploring children's peer interactions in group reading discussions where a teacher was not present as an authoritative guide. This context reflects a reality of classroom teaching where most children in the class are completing tasks independently while the teacher is working other groups. In the study, four quartets of ten year-old children in the UK and Mexico were recorded as they discussed different texts together and this paper reports the findings from their engagement with The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan. In the paper, we focus on the symmetries and asymmetries apparent in the children's peer talk to consider how they engage together to make meaning from the text they are reading. To this end we focus on two strands of analysis related to children's talk within their groups: (a) the function of utterances within their speech turns; and (b) the dynamics of the interaction, that is, the organisation of the talk into topical episodes. By considering these two strands of analysis, we are able to illuminate the nuances of a/symmetries in small-group reading contexts as we concentrate on how the children use language and action to influence the direction of, and contribute to, the discussions. The results find children authoritatively shifted the discussion forward into new topics using different means, and displayed evidence of high-level comprehension as they engaged with the ideas of each other. The two strands of analysis complemented each other as they illustrated not only the resources the children drew on to shift the movement of the discussion, but how their language enabled this movement forward. The results also highlighted differences in how the children perceived their goals and responsibilities within the task and groups.

The development of children's identification of foreigner talk.

Although children's use of speech registers such as Baby Talk is well documented, little is known about their understanding of Foreigner Talk, a register addressed to non-native speakers. In Study 1, 4- to 8-year-old children and adults (N = 125) heard 4 registers (Foreigner Talk, Baby Talk, Peer Talk, and Teacher Talk) and predicted who would receive each. By 5 years, children selected the target addressee of Foreigner Talk above chance. In Study 2, 5- to 8-year-old children and adults (N = 94) completed a register match task manipulating 3 addressee cues: language, appearance, and origin. Prior to 7-8 years of age, children did not use the language cue alone when identifying the addressee of Foreigner Talk, and at no age did children use one cue more than another. In contrast, adults made use of language and appearance more than the origin cue. These findings suggest that an understanding of Foreigner Talk emerges by school age yet also undergoes developmental change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).