Negotiation of Target Language Discourse in Foreign Language Learning

This study investigates discourse in foreign language classes where the focus is both on form and on meaning, i.e. discourse where students talkin and about the foreign language. Two clasroom activities are analysed. First, language-related questions posed by students in a German as a second language class, and second, text reproduction tasks in a German as a foreign language class at a Dutch secondary school. During these activities students construct and verbalise hypotheses about the structure of the foreign language. It is argued that recording these verbalisations supplies data which allow insights into ongoing learning processes concerning the interaction of the learners' internal L2-knowledge with the perceived L2-input. Both activities are discussed on acquisitional, methodological and didactic levels. It is concluded that they represent significant learning opportunities and that they should be further developed.