SUPONG TANGKIENGSIRISIN (LANGUAGE INSTITUTE THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY)
NUNTAPAT SUPUNYA (Langugae Institute Thammasat Unviersity)

CHARACTERISING FACTORS INFLUENCING INTERACTIONAL COMPETENCE OF EMI STUDENTS: AN ETHNOGRAPHICALLY INFORMED ANALYSIS : PLURILINGUALISM AND TRANSLANGUAGING

Interaction in English-Medium-Instruction (EMI) contexts is dynamic and complex such that interactional success is determined by multi-layered factors beyond linguistics. Conversation analysis-informed studies with a micro analytical focus have analysed specific interactional mechanisms, (e.g., thanks and apologies), certain linguistic features (e.g., particles), and their subsequent development overtime. However, few studies have attempted to characterise the factors influencing interactional success through the interlocutors’ employment of resources. Therefore, this study used a multimodal conversation analysis (MCA) to analyse the interactional data obtained from two classroom interactions among six EMI students in a Thai university. To capture the dynamicity of the interaction and reflect the heterogenous factors, an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was also employed to analyse the ethnographic data collected from the focus groups conducted after each discussion. The findings revealed eight novel interrelated factors influencing interactional success in a multi-party interaction. Emphasising these factors in interaction-for-learning could be useful in language pedagogy to assist learners in real world communications.

Supong Tankiengsirisin is an Associate Professor at the Language Institute of Thammasat University, Thailand. He serves as the Director of Advanced Center for Testings at Language Institute, Thammasat University (LITU-ACTs), and is currently Past President of Thailand TESOL Association. He also serves on several Editorial Committees for international academic journals.

Nuntapat Supunya is a PhD candidate in English Language Teaching (ELT) at the Language Institute Thammasat University, Thailand. He obtained his M.Ed. in TESOL from the University of Sydney, Australia. His research interests include CEFR in Thailand, ESP teachers, and interactional competence (IC).