Explanatory Discourse in Young Second Language Learners’ Peer Play

Abstract

This article investigates young second language learners’ participation in explanatory discourse during peer play in preschools. Twenty-seven 5-year-old Turkish-speaking children in Norwegian preschools were studied in peer play. Characteristics of conversational moves and of various explanatory types (Immediate-activity Explanations, Principle-based, Frame-based and Extended Explanations), as well as how such types were related to children’s academic language skills (receptive vocabulary and word definition skills) in Turkish and Norwegian were examined. Children, both native and non-native speakers of Norwegian, mostly produced explanations spontaneously, while requests for explanations occurred only occasionally. Second language learners who attended play groups with much explanatory peer talk had higher academic language skills. In particular, we discuss whether second language learners with more Principle-based Explanations had higher academic language skills in Norwegian. The contribution of peer play explanatory talk to second language learners’ academically mediated language skills is discussed.