Few studies have compared the nature of negotiation of meaning across face-to-face (FTF) and synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modes with mixed-proficiency dyads. Such comparisons can help identify important strengths and weaknesses of each mode. Therefore, this study explored whether FTF and SCMC modes differ in terms of…

English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) classrooms for recently arrived immigrant English learners are important contexts to help students acquire language skills and adapt to the host country's social norms. In the United States, resources on how to help these learners navigate moral and cultural norms expected in the school system are…

The present study investigates how and when learners decide to correct one another in interaction. In exploring how two learners used strategies in interaction to scaffold or be scaffolded by their interlocutor in an effort to negotiate and communicate meaning, this study finds that the two participants primarily used recasts as their preferred…

This case study draws on Gee's (1989) "D/discourse theory" to investigate English learners' (ELs') perspectives regarding Accountable Talk (AT)--a structured, discourse-intensive instructional approach--after a yearlong implementation in three content-based (mathematics) middle school classrooms. Interviews with 21 ELs (3 Advanced…

The cooperative development discourse framework (Edge, 2002) has traditionally been used to help individuals-who-teach explore and improve their teaching practice by speaking openly and nondefensively to one of their colleagues, who will refrain from judging and evaluating them. This article presents the rewards of establishing such a…

Studies on the human language system have brought to the fore two key aspects. First, the prime function of language is communication. Second, language exists in the social world. The language learning process takes place within the sociocultural context and the relevant macrostructures that influence language use and development. According to the…

This research studies an elementary classroom of all English language learners (ELLs) for the use of forms of gesture without speech for private communication. This private-public modality allowed the teacher to attend to individuals without significant disruption of her concurrent speech. Students also used this modality in various contexts as…

An immigrant's experience illustrates the support systems that foster self-confidence and facilitate the acquisition of communicative skills in a new language and culture. The article examines relationships among language and power, mentor and students, and impotence and empowerment in the context of learning to function effectively in U.S.…