Qualitative interactional analysis of informal learning process in JSL contexts

本研究考察了国际学生在日本自然进行语言学习的非正式情况，例如在日本留学期间的各种日常社会活动和课堂外的课外活动。该研究特别侧重于他们在PBL（基于项目的学习）活动中围绕信息通信技术工具（例如，使用SNS、Skype、博客、互联网搜索引擎）的互动。采用会话分析式、多模态交互分析来分析收集到的交互数据。研究结果表明，他们参与语言学习之外的特定活动将为学习者提供丰富的、情境驱动的时刻，以获得目标语言（日语）的各个维度的交际能力。研究表明，二语互动能力的发展实际上可能只有在这种非正式的学习环境中才有可能。

This study examined informal situations for the international students in Japan where language learning takes place naturally, for example, various daily social activities and extra-curricular activities outside of the classroom during the study abroad period . The study has focused particularly on their interaction surrounding ICT-tools (e.g., use of SNS, Skype, blogs, internet search engines) in PBL(Project Based Learning) activities. A conversation analytically informed, multimodal interaction analysis was adopted to analyze the collected interactional data. The findings show that their engagement in the given activities beyond language learning would provide a rich, context-driven moment for learners to acquire various dimensions of communicative competence in the target language (Japanese). The study suggests that development of interactional competence in L2 may be in fact possible only in such informal learning settings.