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8 - An Analysis of Collaborative Dialogue in Literature Circles

from Part II - Literature and Speaking Skills

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2019

By
Scott J. Shelton-Strong
Edited by
Christian Jones
Christian Jones
Affiliation:
University of Liverpool
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Summary

Sociocultural and social cognitive theories have begun to make a lasting imprint on English Language Teaching (ELT) and learning as it is undertaken and understood today across a range of contexts (Steffensen and Kramsch ). This chapter reports on a study conducted with English language learners involved in Literature Circles (LCs) over an extended period and centres on an analysis of the discourse generated within these post-reading, group discussions. The chapter begins by contextualising LCs as a vehicle for reader response and collaborative engagement within an ecological perspective to second language (L2) development. Drawing on sociocultural theory (Lantolf, Thorne and Poehner ) and its application to collaborative engagement in a language learning environment, the discourse presented undergoes an ecologically grounded, dialogical analysis. This analysis interprets examples from the group conversations as affordances for language development identified as an emergent phenomenon, co-constructed and mediated by the support of peers, the shared reading experience and relevant scaffolding. The current study suggests that this dynamic combines collaborative interaction and interpersonal communication with ecosocial processes to promote spoken L2 development, where deep processing of shared interpretation, critical evaluation, collective noticing and expression of affect are externalised within the discussions.

Keywords

literature circlesdiscussionnoticingcolaborativeecological
Type
Chapter
Information
Literature, Spoken Language and Speaking Skills in Second Language Learning , pp. 176 - 201
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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