ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews perspectives on the role of collaborative activities and peer interaction in fostering language awareness. Collaborative activities and peer interaction are used in language teaching with an emphasis on learning through communicating in the target language. The chapter focuses on particular on the kind of "collaborative dialogue" that can occur when learners "work together to solve linguistic problems and/or co-construct language or knowledge about language" during writing, speaking, listening or reading activities in instructed settings. The function of peer interaction and collaborative tasks for language learning can be aligned with both cognitive and sociocultural views on second language acquisition and research evidence indicating the importance of noticing and attention in language learning. Research concerning peer interaction in adult and child classrooms suggests that a "collaborative mindset" is unlikely to happen automatically for all, but may be fostered through explicit training and modelling by the teacher.
