Classroom-Interaction-and-Second-Language-Acquisit

22Copyright©CanadianAcademyofOrientalandOccidentalCultureISSN1923-1555[Print]ISSN1923-1563[Online]:10.3968/j.sll.1923156320130701.3085ClassroomInteractionandSecondLanguageAcquisition:TheMoreInteractionstheBetter?ZHAOCongmin[a],*[a]SchoolofForeignLanguages,NorthChinaElectricPowerUniversity,Beijing,China.*Correspondingauthor.Received17November2012;accepted6January2013AbstractThispaperattemptstodescribetherelationshipbetweeninteractionandSLAintheclassroom.Researchfindingstendtopointtotheconclusionthatmoreinvolvementininteractiondoesnotensurebetterachievements.Thisconclusionpointstotheimportanceoflookingatclassroominteraction(CI)andsecondlanguageacquisition(SLA)holistically.Learnerslearnbyengagingininteractionspersebutalsobylisteningtointeractions.Theimplicationforclassroompedagogyisthattheteachershouldnotencouragemoreinteractionssingle-mindedlybutbasehisdecisionsofvaryingthedimensionsofCIonahostoffactors.Keywords:Interaction;Observableparticipation;Unobservableparticipation;EavesdroppingZHAOCongmin(2013).ClassroomInteractionandSecondLanguageAcquisition:TheMoreInteractionstheBetter?.StudiesinLiteratureandLanguage,7(1),22-26.Availablefrom::(1994),theclassroomprovidestheL2researcherswiththreeperspectivesofstudy:comparativemethodstudies,thestudyoftheeffectsofformalinstruction,andclassroominteraction(CI)studies(p.565).Amongthethree,itisthelastwhichattractsresearchers’prolongedinterest.Thereasonsaresimpleandevident:firstly,interactionis“thefundamentalfactofclassroompedagogy…everythingthathappensintheclassroomhappensthroughaprocessofliveperson-to-personinteraction”(Allwright,1984,p.156).Secondly,interactionplaysanimportantroleforsecondorforeignlanguageacquisition(SLA/FLA).Itprovidestheopportunityfortheobtainingofcomprehensibleinputandtheproductionofpushedoutputwhicharecrucialfortheinternalizationoflanguageknowledge.Languageservesforcommunicationandtheacquisitionofalanguageisgenerallyfulfilledintheinteractionwithothers.IninteractionwithothersonelearnstouselanguageandresultantlytomodifyandexpandtheILsystem.Classroominteraction,comparedwithinteractioninthenaturalisticenvironment,presentsdifferentpatternsofinteractionwithdifferentcharacteristics,suchasteacher-frontedinteractionandsmallgroupwork.ThefunctioningofdifferenttypesofCIhascloseconnectionwiththeorganizationofclassroomactivitieswhichisgenerallydividedintothreebroadstages:presentation,practiceandproduction,andthisfostersthetypesofinteractiontohappenandstudentparticipationinfluencestherealoccurrenceofinteraction.ThispaperaimstoidentifytherelationshipbetweeninteractionandSLAintheclassroomsetting,thatis,howtheseinteractionopportunitiesbearonthelearner’slanguageacquisition;isittruethatlearnerswhoactivelyinitiateinteractionandnegotiatemeaningarebetterachieversthanthosethatarenot?Orinotherwords,isitthemoreinteractionsthebetter?1.THEORETICALBACKGROUNDTheintroductionoftheinteractiveapproachintoclassroomlearningandthestudyofCIislargelyattributedtosocialinteractionismwhichemphasizestheroleofotherspeakersaroundthelanguagelearnerbymeansofinteraction.1.1SocialInteractionismActually,therealizationandrecognitionoftheroleofinteractionforlanguagelearningarerecentevents.AccordingtoRichardsandRodgers,“InteractionhasbeencentraltotheoriesofL2learningandpedagogysincethe1980s”(p.22).23Copyright©CanadianAcademyofOrientalandOccidentalCultureZHAOCongmin(2013).StudiesinLiteratureandLanguage,7(1),22-26YetthetheorywhichprovidesstrongimpetusistheschoolofsocialinteractionismwithVygotskyastheproponent.Oneofhisimportantideais“thezoneofproximaldevelopment”whichrefersto“thedistancebetweentheactualdevelopmentlevelasdeterminedbyindependentproblemsolvingandthelevelofpotentialdevelopmentasdeterminedthroughproblemsolvingunderadultguidanceorincollaborationwithmorecapablepeers”(Vygotsky,1978,p.86).TogetherwithFeuerstein,anothersocialinteractionist,Vygotskyputsforwardtheconceptofmediationwhichrefersto“thepartplayedbyothersignificantpeopleinlearners’lives,whoenhancetheirlearningbyselectingandshapingthelearningexperiencespresentedtothem”(Williams&Burden,1997,p.40).Associalinteractionistsseeit,“childrenarebornintoasocialworld,andlearningoccursthroughinteractionwithotherpeople”(Williams&Burden,1997,p.39).Socialinteractionistsrecognizethevalueofinteractioninchildrenandattempttoexpandtheconceptofinteractionintotheclassroomsetting.Theapplicationofsocialinteractionismismanifestedintheadvocacyfortheuseoflanguageforcommunication.1.2TheroleofInteractionInteractionplaysaconstructiveroleintheSLA.TheroleofinteractionisclarifiedbyLonginhisInteractionHypothesis.Long(1985)suggeststhat“negotiation”isindirectlyconnectedwithacquisition:sincelinguistic/conversationaladjustmentspromotethecomprehensionofinputandcomprehensibleinputpromotesacquisition,itcanbededucedthatlinguistic/conversationaladj