Reparatursequenzen in L2-Prüfungen: Positionierung und Fokus auf Form

Abstract

In this thesis, repair and positioning are examined with respect to second language learners. The data employed in this analysis consists of oral examinations taken by students of German. These data comprise 22 tape recordings averaging 10 minutes in length. The students’ level of German language proficiency is understood to be intermediate. Conversation analysis is the methodology used to analyse the recorded spoken data. The data is first discussed within the context of research on focus on form, including research on learner uptake. To provide new insights in this discussion, the analysis goes further to include the perspective of positioning theory, in particular the aspect of different storylines. Taking interactional repair as the focus of discussion, my analysis shows that form cannot always be strictly separated from meaning when it comes to repair; it also proves that positioning theory plays a considerable role in relation to both repair initiation by teachers and students as well as their reactions to it. Thus, the participants’ positioning has a significant effect on why some repair moves are likely to occur while others are not.