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How Wild Can It Get? Managing Language Learning Tasks in Real Life Service Encounters

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Conversation Analytic Research on Learning-in-Action

Part of the book series: Educational Linguistics ((EDUL,volume 38))

Abstract

This chapter explores how experientially based pedagogical activities that involve participation in real life service encounters provide occasions for developing L2 interactional competence. The data comprises novice L2 students’ self-recorded interactions in service settings and videorecordings of classroom planning activities and de-briefing discussions, where the students reflect on their experiences. The analysis traces what kinds of occasions for learning arise as the students move between the classroom and the real-world service settings. The findings show that the different phases of the task complement each other in supporting the development of interactional competence. The preparation phase enables students to plan initiating actions, but does not prepare them for contingencies of interaction in the wild. When carrying out the task in real world circumstances, occasions for learning can arise as students adapt to the interactional contingencies of the encounter and put their repertoire to use in interaction with others in the full ecology of the activity. Retrospective discussions enable detailed analysis of experiences as well as focused learning activity, whereby the participants develop an experientially based understanding of the interactional tasks, language practices, actions, organization and communicative norms pertaining to the social activity.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The network of service providers included cafés at the University, a paper shop, a restaurant, a bicycle repair shop, hairdressers and a tourist information office. The idea for creating the network was based on earlier pedagogical initiatives, in particular Språkskap in Sweden (Clark and Lindemalm 2011) and The Icelandic Village hosted by the University of Iceland (Wagner 2015).

  2. 2.

    The starting and ending points of Ella’s embodied conduct in Excerpts 1 and 2 are indicated by the sign ∗. The embodied conduct of the co-participants (the clerk in Excerpt 1 and Alan in Excerpt 2) is indicated by the sign +.

  3. 3.

    The comparative forms of adjectives in Finnish are formed through morphosyntactic means: in singular the appropriate forms in nominative case are vahva (strong) – vahvempi (stronger) – vahvin (strongest).

  4. 4.

    In Excerpts 3, 4, and 5 the sign + is used to indicate the duration of Alan’s embodied conduct. The co-participant’s (Mike in Excerpt 3 and the clerk in Excerpt 4) embodied conduct is indicated by the sign ^.

  5. 5.

    This is a self-service café, where the organization of the service encounter typically involves the customer picking up a cup, choosing the food items and beverages and then paying for them. In this café the coffee pots were placed on the counter in such a way that customers had to pay for the coffee before choosing the coffee and helping themselves.

  6. 6.

    The embodied conduct of the clerk in Excerpts 6 and 7 is indicated with the sign ^, the embodied conduct of Claire in Excerpt 6 and Sally in Excerpt 7 with the sign +.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Language and Communication Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Arja Piirainen-Marsh

  2. Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland

    Niina Lilja

Authors
  1. Arja Piirainen-Marsh
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  2. Niina Lilja
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Correspondence to Arja Piirainen-Marsh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Linguistics, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    John Hellermann

  2. Department of Design and Communication, University of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg, Denmark

    Søren W. Eskildsen

  3. Center for Applied Linguistics, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Simona Pekarek Doehler

  4. Department of Language and Communication Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Arja Piirainen-Marsh

Appendix 1: Glossing Symbols Used

Appendix 1: Glossing Symbols Used

PL:

plural

PAR:

partive (partitiveness)

COMP:

comparative

SUP:

superlative

COND:

conditional

2:

2nd person ending

Q:

interrogative

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Piirainen-Marsh, A., Lilja, N. (2019). How Wild Can It Get? Managing Language Learning Tasks in Real Life Service Encounters. In: Hellermann, J., Eskildsen, S., Pekarek Doehler, S., Piirainen-Marsh, A. (eds) Conversation Analytic Research on Learning-in-Action. Educational Linguistics, vol 38. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22165-2_7

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