Lärares interaktion i virtuell tandemundervisning

The development of digital tools for interaction has enabled computer-mediated communication as part of the communicative approach to language learning and teaching. This creates affordances for language learners to use their target language, e.g. through tandem language learning, that is, two-way learning in dyads of two students with different first languages. Previous studies on tandem language learning have mainly focused on the interaction between tandem partners in informal learning situations. In this paper, we scrutinise tandem learning applied to curriculum-based language teaching in combined physical and virtual learning environment (VLE). We describe the tandem teacher’s role by analysing teacher interactions in both environments. The data consist of video and screen recordings of teacher interactions. The results show that the teacher mainly observes, and seldom participates in interaction, especially in the VLE. In the physical classroom, the teacher focuses on facilitating through organizational tasks, and in the VLE acts as a language expert. Coaching the students in their roles in the tandem dyad is done in the physical classroom outside the actual tandem cooperation. The teacher interaction in virtual classroom tandem is notably narrower compared with both general classroom studies and tandem studies based entirely on face-to-face meetings in formal school context.