ABSTRACT
This chapter presents key concepts of joint actions and Conversation Analysis, which can reveal the learners’ ability to co-construct a social action with their interlocutors. It describes the main tenets of speech act theory and explains how this theory can be extended to examine speech acts in extended discourse. The chapter discusses the discursive pragmatics perspective for examining speech acts in interaction and surveys the existing findings. It demonstrates how speech acts are accomplished through actions that learners co-construct with their interlocutors during interaction. The chapter suggests that second language speech act development can be observed through learners’ use of these interactional resources in a variety of contexts, including formal classrooms and study abroad settings. It focuses on two areas of speech acts where findings are currently concentrated: directives and dispreferred responses. The chapter reviews fundamental concepts and methods for examining speech acts in interaction.
