Classroom interaction and language learning

Abstract

The field of second and foreign language learning has long been interested in the role that interaction plays in language learning. Recently, research on interaction and language learning has begun to move toward a sociocultural perspective, which incorporates theoretical insights and findings from disciplines traditionally considered outside the field’s main purview. The aim of this paper is to report on some of these most recent undertakings in the field. After first providing a brief overview of the more traditional perspective of the role of interaction in language learning, several recent studies on teacher-student interaction and second and foreign language learning that take a sociocultural perspective are reviewed. The article concludes with a discussion on implications for language classrooms and suggestions for future research.