Agreeing to disagree: ‘doing disagreement’ in assessed oral L2 interactions

Abstract

While disagreements are often considered dispreferred choices and potentially face-threatening acts due to their oppositional nature, this perception does not adequately reflect the importance of disagreeing for many types of interaction, such as problem-solving and decision-making. Developing ability in performing this speech act therefore becomes relevant for learners of an L2 in order to show achievements in such general language learning targets as expressing and defending opinions and arguments, as well as negotiating consensual decisions. This paper presents a sequential analysis of disagreements in assessed interactions of advanced German-speaking learners of English, observed in three different exam formats, i.e. teacher-led interview, role play with teacher and paired student interaction. Overall, 33 disagreement episodes were identified in 18 oral exams. Findings show that the choice of examination format constrains range and type of disagreement trajectory enacted by the learners, highlighting the influence of minor contextual differences. Moreover, analyses of these exams suggest that linguistic alignment can and does co-exist with oppositional talk, supporting the notion that the purpose of achieving a successful joint performance of L2 interaction carries weight even when there is disagreement on a content level.

Keywords:

• classroom discourse
• L2 interactions
• spoken language assessment
• English as a foreign Language
• disagreement

Notes

1. See Alderson and Szollas (2000) and Alderson, Nagy, and Öveges (2000) descriptions of the Hungarian pre-reform English school exams for one of the very few descriptions of this type of classroom-based examination.

2. See http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Framework_en.pdf for a complete list of descriptors.

3. See Muntigl and Turnbull 1998, 226–7 on the three-turn structure of arguments.

4. We might note in this example that disagreeing appears to be the preferred choice. Similarly, disagreements are preferred in response to self-denigratory remarks (e.g., ‘I’m fat’ ‘No, you’re not’) pointing again to the difficulty of assuming disagreements to be generally dispreferred.

5. Although not directly focused on disagreements, Waring (2001, 2005) offers insights how students in peer to peer group discussions position themselves and others as experts in order to support (or reject) specific arguments.

6. These curricula can be viewed on http://www.bmukk.gv.at/schulen/bw/bbs/Berufsbildende_Schulen_H1745.xml and http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/11,854/lp_ahs_os_lebende_fs.pdf

7. This campaign (see http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/nolita_isabelle_caro_1 for the billboard posters) caused a major stir at Milan’s Fashion Week in 2007. The model, Isabelle Caro, has since passed away as a result of anorexia.

8. For similar instances of teachers-cum-examiners incorporating teaching elements in their examination see Sandqvist and Sandlund 2013.