Interactionist Dynamic Assessment in L2 Learning: A Case Study of Tutoring L2 English Oral Communication

Abstract

Interactionist Dynamic Assessment (DA) is a language pedagogical approach that dialectically integrates assessment and instruction to co-construct a future between the learner and the mediator. Interactionist DA, based on a qualitative interpretation of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), focuses on helping learners perform optimally, which they cannot do independently, and develop to the next level through assistance and interactions with the mediator. The present paper attempts to conduct a case study of interactionist DA in the L2 learning context by tutoring L2 English oral communication to investigate how interactions between a mediator and a L1 Japanese student are negotiated and help develop the learner’s performance. The results indicated that interactionist DA in the L2 context was effective in helping the learner overcome problems and perform better through negotiated interactions with the mediator and revealing the learner’s actual competence.