%0 Journal Article %1 burkert2015collaborative %A Burkert, Anja %D 2015 %J Journal of the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education (CercleS) %K 2016_e852 eap exploratory_talk joint_construction_of_knowledge learner-to-learner_talk learner_autonomy %N 1 %P 197-222 %T Collaborative Learning and the Joint Construction of Knowledge and Understanding %V 5 %X This article reports on a small-scale study conducted among first and second-year students of English at the University of Graz in the winter semester 2013–2014. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which students in their peer-group interactions were using language efficiently as a means of thinking and learning together. To this end, audio-recordings were made of pairs and groups of students working collaboratively on various tasks in three different English language classes. The article begins by briefly reviewing previous work on the joint construction of knowledge and understanding via learner-to-learner talk. Although this work pertains to collaborative learning in learners’ L1, the participants in the study, most of whom were future teachers of English, communicated in the target language at B2 level and thus seemed to constitute a group of learners to whom the literature equally applied. The next part of the article describes the teaching/learning context and the pedagogical approach followed, which is guided by the principles of learner autonomy. This is followed by an analysis of three transcripts of audio-recordings, and the article concludes by considering the implications for future practice of the insights gained.

@article{burkert2015collaborative, abstract = {This article reports on a small-scale study conducted among first and second-year students of English at the University of Graz in the winter semester 2013–2014. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which students in their peer-group interactions were using language efficiently as a means of thinking and learning together. To this end, audio-recordings were made of pairs and groups of students working collaboratively on various tasks in three different English language classes. The article begins by briefly reviewing previous work on the joint construction of knowledge and understanding via learner-to-learner talk. Although this work pertains to collaborative learning in learners’ L1, the participants in the study, most of whom were future teachers of English, communicated in the target language at B2 level and thus seemed to constitute a group of learners to whom the literature equally applied. The next part of the article describes the teaching/learning context and the pedagogical approach followed, which is guided by the principles of learner autonomy. This is followed by an analysis of three transcripts of audio-recordings, and the article concludes by considering the implications for future practice of the insights gained.}, added-at = {2016-12-18T14:13:27.000+0100}, author = {Burkert, Anja}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/256fa4cde03f5dce75ca429e973581a97/ajmsadler}, interhash = {1c39ac54b840938f7732ef641dffdd45}, intrahash = {56fa4cde03f5dce75ca429e973581a97}, journal = {Journal of the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education (CercleS)}, keywords = {2016_e852 eap exploratory_talk joint_construction_of_knowledge learner-to-learner_talk learner_autonomy}, number = 1, pages = {197-222}, timestamp = {2016-12-18T14:13:27.000+0100}, title = {Collaborative Learning and the Joint Construction of Knowledge and Understanding}, volume = 5, year = 2015 }