Kim, YH; (2016) Pair interaction among adult EFL learners: A South Korean case study. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The current study aims to investigate how pair work influences language learning in EFL lessons, in particular in a South Korean college. Specifically, the study addresses: (i) how learners interact with their partner in language learning activities, (ii) how they perceive their peer interaction, and (iii) how the interactive process of accomplishing the activities relates to language learning opportunities. Therefore, the study plan was to explore the type of peer interaction, learners’ perception of the interaction, and the relationship between the interaction and language learning opportunities. This study was classroom-based. Research was conducted in three EFL classroom settings in a Korean college where my own English courses were held for a period of seven weeks. Twelve learners (i.e. six pairs) participated in the study. Seven different activities related to the course syllabus were used as the main data collection instrument to record the processes of peer interaction undergone by learners while accomplishing the activities. Data for the study came from transcripts of audio-recorded pair talk as the participants completed seven different activities, from observation notes, and from a series of interviews such as individual post-activity interviews including stimulated recall and final interviews. What the findings of this study suggest is that learners need to have a willingness to collaboratively engage with their partner because language development seen as the internalisation of socially co-constructed or mutually accepted knowledge has more opportunities to occur in pair interaction with a collaborative orientation such as collaborative type and expert/novice type. Therefore, the important element that influences language learning is not pair work per se but engaging with a partner in collaborative type and expert/novice types of pair interaction that embody a collaborative orientation. These are more likely to lead to the development of socially co-constructed and mutually accepted language knowledge.

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