The dialogical nature of language use in interactive listening: revisiting meaning in context

Abstract

Adopting a broader dialogical conceptual lens on interactive listening, this study examines advanced adult learners’ language use and thought processes during a problem-solving task. Twenty English as a second language (L2) students from a Scottish university participated in the study. They worked in pairs on the task before taking part in retrospective interviews. In contrast to previous studies which investigated peer interactions, the participants in the present study were from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The analysis shows that L2 listeners utilise a range of verbal and non-verbal discursive practices, including reception strategies, as they negotiate and co-construct a shared understanding. Furthermore, their language use is embedded in an understanding of the sociocultural and discursive norms of both the settings of this study and the backgrounds of the interlocutor. The findings also indicate that rather than being static, listeners’ perceptions of themselves and the others are contingent upon the dynamic interpersonal relationship in communication. The article argues for a need to broaden our understanding of what meaning-in-context in interactive listening entails: when listeners take on an active role, not only do they listen in the conventional sense, but they also become the co-regulator of the discourse.

Keywords:

• Language use
• interactive listening
• dialogical approach
• sociocultural theory
• metacognitive awareness
• social interaction

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to the cooperation of the participating students during the data collection stage. He would also like to thank Charles Anderson, Pauline Sangster, the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on earlier versions of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Level of English was not the primary focus of the present study. IELTS 6.5 was the minimal English language entry requirement to the university at the time of the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alan Huang

Alan Huang is a Lecturer in Language Education in the School of Education, Faculty of Humanity and Social Sciences, University of Strathclyde, UK. His research interests include language learning and teaching, teacher professional learning, and digital technologies in education.