Exploring the Power of Social Talk in a Foreign Language

Download or read book Exploring the Power of Social Talk in a Foreign Language written by Gerrard Mugford and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-12-13 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the fundamental interactional dimension to foreign language communication, including the establishment, development, consolidation and maintenance of interpersonal relations. It argues that interpersonal language use such as small talk, casual conversation and gossipy talk is not only key to meaningful and productive communication but that it is an essential dimension with respect to successful foreign language interaction and that engaging in interpersonal language is communicatively valuable and worthwhile in its own right. Crucially, it explores how teaching and learning can utilize the role of social talk and relational engagement in helping interactants to express, voice and convey their own values, attitudes and beliefs. Finally, it develops a critical relational pedagogy focused on language speakers’ needs, objectives and desires. Redressing the imbalance between transactional and interactional language teaching, and stressing the importance of phatic and relational language use in helping language users achieve their communicative goals, it will appeal to researchers, postgraduates, and scholars in the fields of education and linguistics.