ABSTRACT
The goal for this book is to bring together research on peer interaction in language learning and to extract from it practical advice for applying it effectively in different types of language learning classrooms. We began with an overview of the unique contribution that peer interaction makes to language learning – the opportunities for learning that peer interaction affords that cannot be replicated in teacher-led instruction nor in individual learning (and in many cases, not even in language use opportunities beyond the classroom). We then moved to chapters that contain advice on how best to integrate peer interaction into your classroom, considering the unique needs, interests, and abilities of your students as well as the specific cultural and learning context in which you teach. As you have read through the book, you have likely noticed that several themes have recurred in different sections. For this final chapter, we’d like to bring together some of these prominent strands, providing a set of guidelines for teachers to consider as they reflect on how to integrate peer interaction into their classrooms or how to make better use of peer interaction as a site for language use and language learning for their students.
