Oral interaction patterns in work-related activities in teaching and interviews for language practice placements: L2 teaching for adults in Sweden

This study explores oral interaction in work-related activities within adult second-language (L2) education in Sweden, specifically in the context of Swedish for Immigrants (SFI). Drawing on data from classroom instruction and placement interviews, the study investigates which speech functions and speaker roles are made available to students preparing for workplace language practice. Transcribed material from one lesson and four placement interviews was analyzed using speech act theory, with a focus on speech functions, speaker roles, and opportunities for extended talk. The findings show that while interaction was often regulated by teachers and recruiters, students actively contributed through humor, storytelling, meta-talk, and expressions of preference or reservation. Students assumed diverse speaker roles, including novice, knower, peer, and tension releaser, thereby engaging in pragmatically and socially relevant communication. These roles and functions are important for both general language development and workplace interaction. The study highlights the need to create space in L2 classrooms for less typical but crucial functions—such as turn-taking, declining, and expressing disagreement—often underrepresented in classroom discourse. It contributes to research on adult L2 education by demonstrating how structured interaction around work placements can support learners’ oral proficiency and pragmatic competence.