CHAPTER 6: INTERACTION

I. Characteristics of Interpersonal Communication:

 synchronous : in real time, people interact at the same
time ( face-to-face,phone call,...)
 asynchronous: different time: dont have to be online
together (email,...)
 interaction with another person usually requires both
understanding and producing meaning
 No interaction when
1. Lack information gap between interlocutors
2. Know exactly what the other one will says
 spontaneity is not the sine qua non ( yếu tố bắt buộc) of
interpersonal communication.
 Scaffolding and preparation could be necessary for
successful interaction.
 no “back and forth” = no interpersonal.
 Presentational: having the audience do something with the
information conveyed is a key aspect of a good
presentational task
II. The Interaction Hypothesis:
 Long (1996): “interaction: connect input , internal learner
capacities, selective attention, output in productive ways”
 interaction helps learners know what they do not know
how to say or notice a mismatch between their utterance
and the target language
 input alone is not enough
 output: produce language without needing immediate
feedback
 interaction: emphasize negotiation of form and meaning
during communication
III. Negotiation of Form and Meaning:
 “form-focused episode”: is a moment when interlocutors
shift from meaning to form ro deal with a language issue.
 Form-focused episodes can be preemptive or reactive:
1. preemptive: anticipating a problem before it occurs
2. reactive: responding after an error appears
 clarification request: repeat/ clarify errors
  recast: nhắc lại cho đúng ( input-providing form of
feedback): partial/ total reformulation => correct form
without disrupting the flow of communication
 elicitation:gợi mở để người học tự sửa: ( output-
prompting): push learner to provide correct form (rising
intonation, verbal cues )
 explicit metalinguistic correction: giải thích rõ ràng về
lỗi: provide a brieft explanationof what needs to be
changed and why
recast favorably as:
unobtrusive ( không gây chú ý) :correct without
shifting the focus too far from [Link],
the relatively implicit nature of recasts is a
drawback: learner might not even notice a
difference between their own utterance and the
teacher’s.
elictation: the correction is more obvious, less
natural
 emphasize or repeating the reformulated portion some case
unatural
 there is no corrective feedback recipe
 priority to comprehensionbility than accuracy ( for novice)
IV. The Role of Interactional Feedback:
 acquisition: internal process cant consciously control
 feedback does not instantly change student' language
 Should depend on:
1. type of feedback: help provide additional
inputcontribute to developing the students’
linguistic systems.
2. corrective feedback: contributes to explicit
knowledged learners use some explicit knowledge
in monitored production (e.g., writing).
 Summarize:
feedback may help learners notice and connect form and
meaning, but it wont make their output completely accurate
Teachers should:
1. Curb your expectations
2. Don’t ignore the affective side of feedback: too
much error correction can low student's confidence
and motivationfeedback should be
 supportive,positive, focused on improvement, not
control
3. Let it go, let it go: Not correcting errors doesn’t
make students think they are right; language learning
is an ongoing process of gradual improvement.
V. Interlocutor Characteristics:
 Advantages:
1. More chance to negotiation
2. Willing to ask, seek help
3. Modified output after feedback
 Drawbacks:
1. Inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate feedback
2. Inability to resolve some queries
VI. Scaffolding Interaction:
 When create interpersonal tasks should:
1. put ourselves in the students’ shoes
2. keep in mind what learners can do at their level
 How can we properly scaffold an activity like that?
1. start with a goal
2. brainstorm word/ phrase to creae mindmap, graphic
3. come up with yes/no questions
4. note-taking with VEnn diagrams
5. summarise and present
VII. Characteristics of Tasks:
 A pedagogical approach embraced is Task-based
Language Teaching (TBLT)
 task-based language teaching (TBLT) are organized
around the tasks ̣
 pedagogic task:languge use that is interactionally rather
than situationally authentic
for example: describe a picture for another paint is
interactionally authentic rather than situationally
authentic (việc mô tả cho người khác vẽ lại sẽ
mang hướng interactionally authentic vì cung câp
thông tin về hình ảnh là một chức năng giao tiếp,
nhưng nó thiếu đi tính thực tế về bối cảnh
( situational authencity) bởi vì thực tế ít ai làm như
vậy)
 pedagogic task you use should be relatable and relevant to your
learners, as opposed to just any task anyone does in real life
  criteria to create tasks:
1. Focus on understanding and expressing meaning, not just
form.
2. Include an information gap.
3. Learners choose how to use language and resources.
4. Have a concrete, non-linguistic outcome
VIII. Types of Tasks:
 information-gap task: exchange specific information that
the other person needs to complete the task ( one-way/
two-way)
 decision-making tasks:come to a consensus regarding a
particular situation
spark creativity in students and let them take more
ownership of their learning
 info-gap-task: good for learners need more structure
allow instructor have more control over content will
be exchange.
However, some learners might find info-gap tasks
to be too contrived or inauthentic
**** Key version***
When learning a new language, progress depends not only on
listening and speaking but also on interaction-real communication
where people exchange information for a reason.
True interpersonal communication contains an information gap and
purposeful, back-and-forth. Reading a script aloud does not count,
because both speakers already know what will be said. However,
negotiating ideas while writing a dialogue together can be
interpersonal, since partners share new thoughts to reach a joint
product.
Michael Long’s Interaction Hypothesis proposes that interaction helps
learners connect Input, Attention, and Output. When meaning breaks
down, speakers engage in negotiation of meaning through clarification,
confirmation, or comprehension checks. These moments help learners
give interactional feedback. For instance, a recast reformulates a
sentence correctly, while a prompt pushes the learner to self-repair
Teachers and peers both provide valuable feedback, through peers
may sometimes be inconsistent.
Interaction also depends on the interlocutor and task. Native speakers
often adjust their speech, making it more comprehensible; meanwhile,
peer-to-peer talk encourages negotiation in relaxed atmosphere.
Teachers can support learning by scaffolding interaction- offering
models, useful expressions, or encouragement before gradually
reducing support. Well- structured tasks like information gap or
decision-making activites make communication meaningful and goal-
oriented. For example, learners may exchange details to plan a class
trip or discuss which restaurant fits everyone’s preferences. These
interactive tasks transform practice into genuine communication and
promote confidence in language use.