‘Hi doctor, give me handouts’: low-proficiency learners and requests

The ability to participate in extended interactions is an important aspect of second language proficiency but has not been much investigated. In this study, we focus on how a group of low-proficiency learners managed extended conversations in role plays involving requests. We compared them with intermediate- and advanced-level learners and found that low-proficiency learners are less likely to delay their request and less likely to use explanations or accounts preceding the request. However, the atypical structure of their requests seems to signal to the interlocutor a need to take a more collaborative role in the interaction and suggest possible explanations and accounts for the learner to confirm. This demonstration of the expected sequential organization of requests raises possibilities for classroom instruction, especially if coupled with metapragmatic awareness raising.