Multifunctional feedback and common ground: the case of L1-L1 and L1-L2 interactions

The present study explores different types of feedback (Corrective Feedback, Miscommunication Feedback, and Conversational Feedback) for the construction of common ground during multimodal face-to-face interactions. While a majority of studies in Second Language Acquisition have mainly focused on Corrective Feedback, i.e. feedback provided from language instructors to correct learners’ output; conversational feedback, pertaining to interactional dynamics, has largely been studied in L1 studies and not so much in SLA contexts. Feedback being inherent to any interaction, whether in L1 or in L2, this study proposes an exploration of its multifunctional dimension in the context of tandem learning. Analyses are based on the SITAF Corpus which includes interactions in L1-L1 (control) and L1-L2 (tandem learning) communicative settings. Results show a higher proportion of multifunctional feedback in the tandem condition as opposed to more conversational feedback in the control condition. Multimodality also plays an important role in the construction of common ground, especially in the tandem condition where the participants heavily rely on solidarity and cooperation.