Reflection About Language Learning

On October 26th, I attended an enlightening workshop which taught me a few new aspects of language learning. The first important factor learnt from the paper and workshop was its introduction of the methodology of conversation analysis. I learnt that conversation analysis (CA) ethnomethodological methods attempt to analyze in detail talk-in-interaction and to explain social and communicative competences. Moreover, CA emphasizes on illustrating how participants make sense of situations, verbal ques, and social structures in language through speech actions and perfomance. As language is a social construction, CA also seeks to define participants´ production of language and behavior during their interactions. Research has shown that each social group establishes their own particular patterns, practices, and moral norms. Violation of established rules can lead to awkward interaction and in more extreme situations accountability for indecent conduct. With this in mind, reading the paper and listening to the lecture was highly instructive and interesting and put CA-for-SLA into perspective as I had never been introduced to is before. That being said, the second aspect learnt was CA-for-SLA as a new

Swain (2000), Doughty and Williams (1998) argue that language learning occurs through interaction as it provides increased opportunities to focus on form and meaning. Doing learning with CA entails taking turns sequencing normal speech as a meaning-focused pedigocical task inside and outside of the classroom. By facilitating the collaboration of various experiences and acquired knowledge, makes learning more doable and purposefull for many learners. So much so, that it may lead to increased awareness of language norms and patterns which enhance learners´ interactional