Teacher interventions following test takers’ interactional troubles during classroom-based paired speaking tests at lower level An exploration of (non) interventions and their effects on progressivity and test takers’ independent interactional trouble solving

This paper analyses the behaviour and interventions of four teachers during authentic classroom-based paired speaking tests (n=21) in lower secondary schools in the German as a foreign language classroom (target level: A2). Conversation analysis was used to explore the tests with regard to two quest...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zeitschrift für Interaktionsforschung in DaFZ
Main Authors: Peyer, Elisabeth, Lüthi, Gabriela, Ravazzini, Nadia
Format: Journal Article
Language:German
Published: Philipps-Universität Marburg 2025
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Summary:This paper analyses the behaviour and interventions of four teachers during authentic classroom-based paired speaking tests (n=21) in lower secondary schools in the German as a foreign language classroom (target level: A2). Conversation analysis was used to explore the tests with regard to two questions: a) How do the teacher-examiners intervene when the student-examinees face interactional troubles? b) What effect do these interventions have on the progressivity of the peer interaction and on the test takers’ independent interactional trouble solving? The analysis shows that the scope and type of interventions vary greatly depending on the teacher and that, while most of these attempts at collaborative assistance are beneficial for the progressivity of the peer interaction, they do not foster test takers’ independent interactional trouble solving ability. Only the permission to deviate from the task is conducive to both progressivity and test takers’ independent interactional trouble solving.
DOI:10.17192/ziaf.2025.5.1.8793