Starting from the notion of input as it is used in second language acquisition research, this study explores the conditions and forms of input processing specific to the foreign language class. The ecological analysis of a filmed corpus of two English classes at beginner and intermediate level focuses particularly on the articulation between different verbal and non-verbal components of pedagogical interactions. The study highlights the multifunctional nature of these multimodal interactions and the synergy that emerges from their functioning. It also shows how the nature of non verbal behaviour and its role in structuring linguistic data depends on conditions that were specific to the language class and varies according to the level and content of learning. Within a sociocognitive perspective, the study aims to contribute to the modelisation of learning processes in the foreign language class.