ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a look at a change of focus from theories of dialogue that attempt to explain dialogue in the abstract, to theories that directly address a dialogic 'performance', a topic that Weigand addresses in her Mixed Game Model (MGM) theory. It discusses some issues with regard to abstract and holistic theories, and argues in favor of a change in theoretical focus from dialogue in the abstract to a theory of 'performance', as does Weigand. Then it points to the need for a more particularized approach to a theory of dialogue; specifically, by addressing performance directly, since dialogue is given meaning only in its situated context. The chapter presents some examples of performance in the classroom language learning context, and how a theory of dialogic performance might be applied to them. Finally, it includes some suggestions for future areas of dialogic research in relation to theory and performance.
