Collaborative scaffolding in onlinetask-based voice interactions betweenadvanced learners

This paper reports some of the findings of a distinctive innovative use of audio-conferencinginvolving a population (campus-based advanced learners) and a type of application (taskbasedlanguage learning) that have received little attention to date: the use of Wimba VoiceTools to provide additional opportunities for spoken interactions between advanced learnersof French. The experiment had a dual aim: (a) to examine the suitability of Wimba VoiceTools as an environment for sustained interactive talk, and (b) to study the nature of interactionsbetween advanced learners, with particular reference to the processes supportingcollaborative activity.After a brief summary of the rationale and main characteristics of the experiment, thepaper focuses on the strategies used by three non-native speaker (NNS) dyads to resolvelanguage problems as they worked on a set of four tasks. Extending the classical model ofnegotiation for meaning to cover other instances of language-related episodes identifiedthrough discourse analysis of the empirical data, the study offers a detailed account of theincidence and nature of negotiated interaction and collaboration between partners. This leadsto a discussion covering the impact of functionalities, scaffolding and task effects. The paperends with some suggestions for future research