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In:Expanding Individual Difference Research in the Interaction Approach: Investigating learners, instructors, and other interlocutors
Edited by Laura Gurzynski-Weiss
[AILA Applied Linguistics Series 16] 2017
► pp. 305–324

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Chapter 13
Look who’s interacting

A scoping review of research involving non-teacher/non-peer interlocutors

 | Indiana University
 | Georgetown University
Published online: 12 December 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.16.13gur
Abstract
Despite the presence of non-teacher/non-peer learner interlocutors in primary (e.g., Gass and Varonis, 1985; M. H. Long, 1983; Varonis & Gass, 1985a, 1985b) and meta-analytic (Li, 2010) studies, and in interactionist theory and review articles (M. H. Long, 1996; Mackey & Goo, 2007), the individual differences (IDs) of these interlocutors have not been an explicit focus of theoretical discussion within the interaction approach. The lack of attention in this area is particularly surprising given how frequently learners interact with individuals who are not peers or teachers. The current scoping review, the final chapter of this volume, addresses this gap by systematically investigating the extent to which non-teacher/non-peer learner interlocutors and their IDs have been considered in empirical studies examining L2 interaction. We also critique the methodology employed to conduct this research, and make recommendations for future studies looking to ensure that the characteristics of all individuals who interact with L2 learners – and have the opportunity to influence L2 learning – are robustly investigated.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Background
    • Learner individual differences
    • Instructor individual differences/characteristics
    • A case for considering non-teacher/non-peer interlocutors in L2 interaction research
    • Present study
  • Method
    • The sample
    • Data collection
    • Analysis
  • Results
  • Discussion and view to future research
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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