Do Learners Correct toward the Target Language? - Repairs in Adult L2 Learner Interaction

Do Learners Correct toward the Target Language?

  This study examined error repairs in interactions among learners in a low-intermediate level adult ESL classroom. Specifically, the focus of the study was twofold: 1) to examine the types of repairs found in L2 learner interaction; 2) to investigate the direction of L2 learners’ repairs and incorporations; that is, whether learners’ repairs and incorporation of the repairs occurred toward the direction of the target language. The findings of the study coincided with previous research showing lexical repairs occurring most frequently with repairs generally occurring in the correct direction. Yet, the study also revealed that although the L2 learners in the present study were capable of providing varied types of repairs, the learners’ repair performances remained limited. The learners also seemed to display a higher rate of miscorrections than found in previous research, and they largely ended up incorporating incorrect repairs. The findings suggest the view of learners as language learning resources for each other should be accepted with caution and bring attention to careful considerations for adopting learner interaction in the L2 classroom.