Repair and codeswitching for learning in online intercultural talk

This study examines the role of repair and code switching for language learning in online written interaction between two speakers of both Italian and English as, respectively, either an L1 or L2. Specifically, during episodes of general repair and corrective feedback, these geographically dispersed university language students used both languages in their repertoire as key interactional and learning resources to co-construct a language learning partnership and pursue affiliation. Despite the face-threatening nature of corrective feedback, also known as other-initiated other-repair, participants managed to construct and maintain intersubjectivity in the text chat environment by availing themselves of the reciprocal possibilities of their bilingual expertise, thus overcoming linguistic asymmetries. In this way both social and learning objectives were achieved during written talk-in-interaction, suggesting that online language learning partnerships with multilingual intercultural speakers of the target language rather than monolingual native speaker partners should be given a more prominent role in languages programs across sectors.