Managing Inaccurate Interpretations of L2 Texts Through Collaborative Correction Practices in an EFL Classroom

Abstract

This study examines how a teacher and her students create an interactional space for learning second language (L2) reading through collaborative correction of a student’s interpretation of L2 texts in an EFL classroom. The data were collected from an extracurricular English class in a high school in Korea, aimed at enhancing students’ reading comprehension. Using multimodal conversation analysis, this study focuses on a single episode in which a teacher and students employ various interactional resources to collaboratively address and correct a student’s error in interpreting the L2 text. The analysis reveals how participants accomplish this through: (1) the teacher soliciting students to identify and correct errors by providing hints and managing their responses; (2) the student audiences contributing their own interpretations of the L2 texts; and (3) the student presenter engaging in self-correction using the teacher’s hints and peer interpretations. The findings offer pedagogical insights into effective interactional practices for addressing inaccurate interpretations of L2 texts in reading classrooms. Furthermore, this study broadens our understanding of collaborative correction practices in L2 learning contexts.