A study of L2 EAP learners’ performance in a simulated international conference: Three markers of interpersonal relationship in discussion sessions

Abstract

Despite a growing interest in research on the spoken EAP genre of conference presentations, the Question and Answer session, which is now routinely embedded in such presentations, is under-researched. Particularly lacking is research on how L2 learners handle the shifting speaker-discussant relationship during discussion sessions. To explore this uncharted area, the study reported in this paper examined a group of eighteen L2 EAP learners in a simulated international conference with a focus on three interpersonal relationship markers, namely, how they opened the floor for discussion, what expressions they used for that occasion and the use of I think. Some pedagogical implications for EAP instruction are revealed.