Modified output and metalanguage during conversational interaction: A qualitative look at interactional feedback

Abstract

The present study draws on earlier research on learner-learner dyadic interactions inan e-tandem virtual exchange and examines negotiation of meaning episodes basedon the qualitative data. These data come from learner-learner interactions duringoral tasks carried out using a video conferencing tool. The aim is to unveil the interac-tional patterns that emerge during negotiation of meaning episodes which havebeen deemed beneficial for L2 development, particularly those which offer opportu-nities for modified output to occur (Gurzynski-Weiss & Baralt, 2015;Long, 1996; Pica,1994; Schmidt, 1990). The results highlight the role that metalinguistic informationplays in scaffolding the process of negotiation of meaning and emphasize the benefitsof e-tandem exchanges where learners alternate between the roles of expert andlearner, depending on the language used during each language-related episode.