Study 22: The dynamics of pair work
Naomi Storch investigated the patterns of pair interaction over time and the effects of different natures of the interactions on language learning in 2002. In her study, she identified four distinct patterns of interaction (collaborative, dominant-dominant, dominant-passive, and expert-novice) and she concluded that when pair work functions collaboratively and learners are in an expert-novice relationship, they can successfully engage in the co-construction of knowledge.
Study 23: Interaction and second language development
In 1999, Alison Mackey carried out a study among adult learners engaging in different communicative tasks with native speakers of the target language on producing question forms. At the end of the study, learners who interacted with native speakers produced more advanced questions and this result showed that spontaneous natural interaction can be more beneficial for the learners.
Study 24: Learner-learner interaction in a Thai classroom
Kim McDonough investigated the use of pair and small group activities in English as a foreign language classes in 2004. In this study, students engaged in interaction about environmental problems by using conditional types, and they used interactional features such as explicit correction, recast and modified output and this improved their accuracy. However, when she asked whether such activities contributed to learning, she found that students did not perceive pair and group activities as useful for learning.