SOME PROBLEMS AND CAVEATS IN COMMUNICATIVE DISCOURSE - TOWARD A CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE FOREIGN-LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

This article argues for a conceptualization of the foreign language cl assroom that matches descriptions of real functional language for comm unication within a cultural group. Teaching and learning are conceptua lized as linguistic or communicative processes and the classroom is co nceptualized as an emerging culture, that is, as a ''linguistic commun ity'' within which students are learning both academic and social dime nsions of language and language use. The social interaction that takes place in the classroom serves to shape and maintain both the classroo m community and the goals of foreign language instruction. The article ends with suggestions for needed kinds of classroom-based research fr om a social interaction perspective to help us better understand what actually goes on in the foreign language learning environment.