Beyond Grammar: Teaching Interaction in the German Language Classroom

This article providesan introduction to the teaching of interaction and language use in the German foreign/second language classroom. Expanding our teaching mandate beyond words and grammar, it provides a coherent framework for the why, what, and how of teaching interactional aspects of language. First, we situate the rationale for the teaching of interaction in the larger curricular context of translingual/transcultural learning. We then illustrate how interaction is understood by conversation analysts and demonstrate how the systematic construction and sequencing of actions by speakers in real-time talk offers a place where language and culture manifestly meet. Next, we review classroom-based research on how L2 learners best learn about interaction and language use in instructed language learning settings. Finally, we outline a specific pedagogical model for the teaching of interaction and present hands-on guidance for practitioners who want to teach interaction in German language classrooms starting at the beginner level.