We are delighted to welcome three distinguished keynote speakers to ICOP-L2, each contributing cutting-edge research in interactional competences and second language practices. Silvia Kunitz (Linköping University), Paul Seedhouse (Newcastle University) and Daniel MK Lam (University of Glasgow) bring unique insights from conversation analysis into language learning, teaching, and assessment. Their work continues to shape the field and inspire new directions in second language interaction research.

Silvia Kunitz (Linköping University)

Title: Task-based interactions: A research-informed and practice-oriented exploration

Ethnomethodological conversation analysis has greatly contributed to research on task-based language teaching. Specifically, task-based interactions have been explored to analyze, for example, the sense-making procedures accomplished by participants to implement the task, the participants’ observable (dis)engagement with the task, their interactional skills, their semiotic resources, and their use of pedagogical materials (e.g., task instructions, pictures, etc). In other words, analytical attention has been brought to the task-in-process, which represents one side of the “split personality” (Seedhouse, 2005) of tasks. While providing an overview of CA findings in task-based research, this talk also discusses whether and how the existing empirical evidence about tasks-in-process may offer relevant implications for the design of tasks-as-workplans and for L2 teaching in general. It is suggested that the key to this issue lies in engaging in the research-practice dialogue at varying degrees: from discussing empirical findings with teachers to conducting collaborative, practice-based research with and for teachers.

Silvia Kunitz is a Senior Lecturer at Linköping University (Sweden) and a coordinator at Stockholm Teaching and Learning Studies. Silvia's research focuses on interaction in formal (e.g., classroom settings) and informal (e.g., language cafes) language learning environments and explores how participants do learning and teaching as socially situated activities in various material ecologies. More recently, Silvia has focused on the relevance of the construct of interactional competence to describe L2 students' interactional skills and inform the design of teaching materials that promote such skills. 


Paul Seedhouse (Newcastle University)

Title: The Architecture of Human Spoken Interaction 

This talk focuses on what is universal about human spoken interaction, arguing that talk involves 2 separate complex adaptive systems working in combination – the universal interaction engine and language(s). Their combination provides talk with both enormous generative power and the stable infrastructure necessary for us to understand each other. 

Paul Seedhouse is Emeritus Professor of Educational and Applied Linguistics at Newcastle University and was Director of ilab:learn for many years. Paul explores human spoken interaction through a complex systems lens. His research spans conversation analysis, language teaching, and digital innovations in language learning, including the Linguacuisine and ENACT apps. With over 60 publications, his work has significantly influenced both theoretical and practical approaches to second language interaction.

Daniel MK Lam (University of Glasgow)

Title: Conversation analysis and language assessment: Celebrating the road less travelled and exploring new avenues

Conversation Analysis has paved new ways to investigate crucial questions in the development and validation of language tests behind the scores – from test constructs, test and task conditions to rubric development. Meanwhile, epistemological and methodological differences meant that making CA-based contributions to language testing and assessment has been a bumpy road. This talk celebrates researchers who took the road less travelled, and ponders new avenues where CA may continue to contribute to language assessment research and practice.

Daniel MK Lam is Lecturer in TESOL at the School of Education, University of Glasgow, and Deputy Lead for the Cultures, Literacies, Inclusion and Pedagogy Research and Teaching Group. Daniel’s research is concerned with assessing interactional competence, and developing IC-related resources for teaching, feedback, and teacher/examiner training. His work also explores “interactive listening” as a way of bringing IC into teaching and assessment of L2 listening. Daniel is a member of the editorial board for the journals Language Assessment Quarterly and Language Testing. He has published works on assessing IC in these journals and in Applied Linguistics and Applied Pragmatics.