The Conversational Flow of Private Speech in ESL Classroom Interaction

This paper is a qualitative study which focuses on the conversational flow of private speech in adult ESL classroom interaction. Using the methodological framework of conversation analysis as a central tool for analysis and the theoretical framework of sociocultural theory, this study examines a private space that occurred in both teacher-fronted and peer-interactive classroom settings. Four adult ESL learners participated in this study. The data of usual classroom activities were video-and audio-taped during their classroom activities. The close observation of verbal and nonverbal actions in classroom interaction demonstrates how the students achieve the internalization process and how their private speech transforms into external speech which is social speech.