Publications

Publication details [#48279]

Publication type
Article in book
Publication language
English
Place, Publisher
John Benjamins

Annotation

This paper examines children’s interaction during authentic lessons involving tasks in L2 classrooms, comparing the effects of teacher guidance for 5–7 year olds (n = 22) and 11–12 year olds (n = 20). Three experimental conditions representing a continuum of teacher guidance were examined: task instructions alone, task instructions with examples, and task instructions followed by on-task guidance and feedback. In all conditions, regardless of age, children interacted in ways deemed facilitative of language learning, although older children seemed to benefit most from on-task guidance. These findings are discussed in terms of the potential benefits of tasks for L2 production and interaction in children’s ESL classrooms, as well as the under-researched but important role of the teacher’s input and guidance.