ENGAGEMENT WITH LANGUAGE: A POTENTIAL CONSTRUCT IN PEER INTERACTION RESEARCH

Abstract

Language learners spend a considerable amount of time interacting with other learners in both second and foreign language classrooms. The idea that peer interaction has increasingly been considered a context for language learning has been matched by a growing body of research examining different aspects of peer talk. Previous literature has provided important insights into various aspects of learner-learner interaction including the provision of interactional feedback, output production, modifications in the process of negotiation for meaning, the attention paid by language learners to language forms, as well as the collaboration among learners in the construction of the language knowledge. However, no comprehensive framework has been established to enable the integration of various features. Recently, engagement with language, proposed by Svalberg (2009) has emerged as a more encompassing concept which integrates cognitive, social and affective aspects of learner-learner interaction. This paper aims to propose this newly emerged construct as a potential for research into peer interaction among language learners.