Going beyond the Text: Interactional Competence in Reading Comprehension Class

Drawing on the principles underlying conversation analysis (CA), this paper is a single case analysis of interaction in an English as a foreign language (EFL) reading comprehension classroom in Saudi Arabia. It looks at learning from a sociocultural perspective and uses constructs from this theoretical perspective. It focuses on Classroom Interactional Competence (CIC) (Walsh, 2013), showing classroom interaction features that are considered CIC. The paper reflects how an understanding of the concept can lead to more dialogic, engaged learning environments. The paper also connects CIC to teachers’ ability to manipulate simple classroom interactional resources to make the teaching process more effective. The paper demonstrates how teachers can induce CIC by utilizing interactional techniques, such as relaxing the mechanism and speed through which turns are taken or given, use of active listenership devices, extending wait time, and use of open-ended questions to expand topics under development. The paper argues that those techniques will help teachers, as evidenced from the cited examples, further enhance classroom participation so that it is convergent with their pedagogical goals. Finally, the paper has pedagogical implementations as it sheds light on techniques that help promote classroom interaction as an indication of learning among students with limited linguistic resources.

Discussion on New Technologies in Spoken and Signed Language Assessment

This chapter discusses the implications of second language (L2) spoken assessment technologies and signed language assessment technologies. Specifically, the authors discuss how signed language recognition technology can be applied for the assessment of interactional competence in L2 spoken language assessment. The chapter outlines assessment management systems and the improvement of signed language recognition and animation technologies as important steps to support L2 signed language assessment. The authors also propose directions for future technological developments in both spoken language and signed language assessment. This chapter is a joint discussion of key items related to the use of new technologies in signed and spoken language assessment that were discussed in Chapters 12.1 and 12.2.

Going beyond the Text: Interactional Competence in Reading Comprehension Class

Drawing on the principles underlying conversation analysis (CA), this paper is a single case analysis of interaction in an English as a foreign language (EFL) reading comprehension classroom in Saudi Arabia. It looks at learning from a sociocultural perspective and uses constructs from this theoretical perspective. It focuses on Classroom Interactional Competence (CIC) (Walsh, 2013), showing classroom interaction features that are considered CIC. The paper reflects how an understanding of the concept can lead to more dialogic, engaged learning environments. The paper also connects CIC to teachers’ ability to manipulate simple classroom interactional resources to make the teaching process more effective. The paper demonstrates how teachers can induce CIC by utilizing interactional techniques, such as relaxing the mechanism and speed through which turns are taken or given, use of active listenership devices, extending wait time, and use of open-ended questions to expand topics under development. The paper argues that those techniques will help teachers, as evidenced from the cited examples, further enhance classroom participation so that it is convergent with their pedagogical goals. Finally, the paper has pedagogical implementations as it sheds light on techniques that help promote classroom interaction as an indication of learning among students with limited linguistic resources.

Clarification and repair in emergency remote EFL classes

During the sudden shift in education onto digital platforms due to the Covid-19 emergency, teachers became streamers and experimented with new tools to involve their students in video-mediated, multi-floor, multiparticipant, and multimodal interactions. In turn, students experienced new ways to participate in lessons and interact with instructors. This study focuses on clarification and repair in videoconferencing as a strategy to address trouble in video-mediated communication and to re-establish mutual understanding. Through participant observation of online classes, the researcher collected data on classroom interactions, which are analyzed through conversation analysis. The findings show how the digital affordances of video-mediated conversation help teachers and students manage intersubjectivity and compensate for the lack of non-verbal cues typical in face-to-face interaction, such as facial expressions or tone of voice. Consequently, this article argues that the wisdom gained during the pandemic can help teachers and lecturers better deal with clarification and repair in digital conversations. Ultimately, it can increase their digital interactional competence, thus giving way to more interaction and learning in EFL classes, both online and in-person. Key words: EMERGENCY REMOTE EDUCATION, CONVERSATION ANALYSIS, CLARIFICATION, REPAIR, EFL Durante la migración hacia las plataformas digitales en la educación debido a la emergencia sanitaria del Covid-19, el profesorado se ha convertido en transmisor digital y ha experimentado con nuevas herramientas para implicar a su alumnado en conversaciones mediadas por vídeo multiparticipativas y multimodales. A su vez, el alumnado ha experimentado nuevas formas de participación en las clases y de interacción con el profesorado. Este estudio se centra en la aclaración y en la reparación en las videoconferencias como una estrategia para afrontar los problemas en la comunicación mediada por vídeo y restablecer el entendimiento mutuo entre docentes y estudiantes. Mediante la observación participante de las sesiones en línea, la investigadora recogió datos sobre las interacciones en clase que son analizados a través del análisis conversacional. Los resultados muestran cómo las posibilidades digitales de la conversación mediada por vídeo ayudan al profesorado y al alumnado a manejar la intersubjetividad y a compensar la falta de señales no verbales propias de la interacción cara a cara, como son las expresiones faciales o el tono de voz. En consecuencia, en este artículo se sostiene que el conocimiento adquirido durante la pandemia puede ayudar al profesorado a afrontar mejor la aclaración y la reparación en las conversaciones digitales. En última instancia, este conocimiento puede aumentar la competencia interactiva digital del profesorado dando lugar a una mayor interacción y a un mayor aprendizaje en las clases de inglés como lengua extranjera, tanto en línea como presenciales. Palabras clave: EDUCACIÓN REMOTA DE EMERGENCIA, ANÁLISIS DE LA CONVERSACIÓN, ACLARACIÓN, REPARACIÓN, EFL Durante l'improvvisa migrazione della didattica sulle piattaforme digitali dovuto all'emergenza Covid-19, i docenti sono diventati streamer e hanno sperimentato nuovi strumenti per interagire e coinvolgere i propri studenti in conversazioni mediate dal il video. A loro volta, gli studenti hanno sperimentato nuovi modi per partecipare alla lezione e interagire con i professori e fra loro. Questo studio si concentra sul chiarimento e la riparazione nella videoconferenza come strategie per affrontare i problemi nella comunicazione mediata dal video e ristabilire la comprensione reciproca. Attraverso l'osservazione partecipante delle lezioni online, sono stati raccolti dati sulle interazioni in classe e sono poi stati analizzati attraverso l'analisi della conversazione. I risultati mostrano come alcune caratteristiche della conversazione mediata dal video aiutino insegnanti e studenti a gestire l'intersoggettività e a compensare la mancanza di segnali non verbali tipici dell'interazione in presenza, come le espressioni facciali o il tono di voce. Si sostiene che la consapevolezza guadagnata durante la pandemia può aiutare i docenti a capire come affrontare il chiarimento e la riparazione nelle conversazioni digitali. Inoltre, può aumentare la loro competenza interattiva digitale, permettendo a una maggiore interazione e apprendimento nelle classi EFL, sia online che in presenza. Parole chiave: ISTRUZIONE A DISTANZA IN EMERGENZA, ANALISI DELLA CONVERSAZIONE, CHIARIMENTO, RIPARAZIONE, EFL