Note-taking/making as a resource for substantiating advice at a second language speaking center

Abstract

Abstract This paper uses conversation analysis as an analytical approach to investigate how a tutor and her students in one-on-one speaking consultation sessions at a university in Hong Kong participate in interview-practice activities using English as a medium of instruction. The study uses approximately 4 h of recordings from six tutoring sessions. In particular, by focusing on how interactional practices are intertwined with the activity of note-taking/making, this paper offers a close examination of the advice-giving activity with the use of notes. The findings illustrate that whether the notes reflect what the student shares during an interview-practicing activity or a Q-A sequence during advice-giving activity, the tutor uses the notes to account for her ensuing advice. Based on the findings, I argue that the tutor’s notes play a pivotal role in grounding her advice during interview consultations at the L2 speaking center.