Understanding language learning environments by comparing learner participation in interaction

Main funder

Funder's project number: 310387

Funds granted by main funder (€)

Funding program

Project timetable

Project start date: 01/09/2017

Project end date: 17/12/2020

Summary

This project aims at discovering how variation in the contextual and material aspects of the learning environment relates to social interaction and learner participation in language activities. In this project, participation is investigated as a situated, dynamic and embodied phenomenon, which is shaped by all parties in social interaction. The methodological approach draws on multimodal conversation analysis, using as data video-recorded, naturally-occurring teaching and learning activities from secondary level language classrooms. The empirical analysis focuses on how different learning materials relate to the construction of social action, participation frameworks during learning activities and interactional orientations to knowledge and knowing. Additionally, the project aims at using these analyses that contrast participation in different settings to develop comparative qualitative research methodologies for studying language education. The findings help understand, e.g., positive and negative roles of digital resources on language teaching and learning and reconceptualise the relationship between learners and the environment in which learning takes place, including how the material, textual and social aspects of an environment interact with each other. Besides contributing to theory-building in applied linguistics and research on Second Language Acquisition (SLA), the project findings have direct relevance for the design, development and pedagogical use of digital learning materials as well as teacher education.

Principal Investigator

Primary responsible unit

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