Speaker
Description
This presentation reports a microgenic analysis of immediate task repetition in an English oral communication course for low-proficiency Japanese university students.
Abstract
(Background)
Task repetition is increasingly recognized as a potentially powerful pedagogical technique for low-proficiency learners because it reduces cognitive load and creates opportunities for negotiating meaning (Bygate, 2018). Information-gap tasks in particular generate frequent trouble sources and therefore make repair practices observable in authentic interaction. This study builds on task-based and conversation-analytic literature (Wong & Waring, 2021) to investigate microgenic development during immediate repetition.
(Contribution)/Research Question:
1. How do Japanese university students employ repair practices and turn designs in immediate task repetition?
The data were collected from a 15-week oral communication course (April-July 2025) at a private Japanese university. Eight first-year students (aged 18-19) performed repeated information-gap describing tasks in three lessons; this presentation focuses on week 9 data. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively using conversation analytic methods to identify repair practices and turn construction.
(Outcome)
The analysis reveals three interconnected patterns: (1) refinement of self-repair practices (more same-turn repairs, fewer long transition-space pauses), (2) richer incremental description and lexical approximations in repeated performances, and (3) greater co-construction of meaning with partners indicating improved interactional competence. These findings suggest immediate task repetition is a practicable classroom strategy to scaffold repair-based interactional development for low-proficiency learners. Practical implications for TBLT lesson design and for teachers seeking to foster negotiation of meaning will be discussed.
Keywords
Task Repetition, Conversation Analysis, Information-Gap, Repair Practice
Short summary
This presentation reports a microgenic analysis of immediate task repetition in an English oral communication course for low-proficiency Japanese university students.
References
Bygate, M. (Ed.). (2018). Learning language through task repetition. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Wong, J., & Waring, H. Z. (2021). Conversation analysis and second language pedagogy: A guide for ESL/EFL teachers (2nd ed.). Routledge.
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday or Sunday |
|---|---|
| Title | The Role of Repair Practices and Turn Designs in Task Repetition |