CONSTRUCTING MICRO-CONTEXT IN CHINESE L2 CLASSROOMS: A CONVERSATION-ANALYTIC STUDY OF TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTION

Xinyue Li

Abstract


This study examines the dynamic construction of micro-context in Chinese as a second language (L2) classrooms through teacher–student interaction. Drawing on van Lier’s concept of contingency and Du Bois’s dialogic syntax, it conceptualizes micro-context as an interactionally emergent phenomenon shaped through the ongoing negotiation of pedagogical goals and participants’ responses. Using conversation analysis, the study investigates naturally occurring interaction from online Chinese L2 classrooms. The analysis identifies five recurring patterns of micro-context development, distinguished by different relationships between goal orientation and interactional contingency. These patterns range from highly teacher-controlled, transmission-oriented exchanges to collaboratively constructed, dialogic interactions. Findings indicate that productive micro-contexts emerge when teachers maintain pedagogical direction while remaining responsive to students’ contributions, allowing interactional goals to evolve during classroom discourse. The findings contribute to a reconceptualization of classroom context as a dynamic interactional achievement and offer a more flexible understanding of the IRF sequence as contingent and dialogically variable. Implications are discussed for enhancing interactional quality and learner participation in Chinese language classrooms.

Keywords


micro-context, Chinese L2 classroom, interactional contingency, dialogic syntax, teacher-student interaction

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejfl.v10i2.6780

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