The interactional view of language

The interactional view of language sees language primarily as the means for establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships and for performing social transactions between individuals.

Here are some of the areas of research in this view of language:

• interactional analysis
• conversational analysis
• ethnomethodology

The target of language learning in the interactional view is learning to initiate and maintain conversations with other people.

Some of the language learning approaches and methods based on this view of language are:

• Strategic interaction
• communicative approaches

Adapted from Richards and Rodgers 1986

• Fact module: The interactional view of language
• In overview module: Three views about the nature of language
• In overview module: Information about language and language learning
• In modular book: Prepare for Language Learning, by Carol J. Orwig
• In bookshelf: Language Learning

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 3.5, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 8 April 1999

© 1999 SIL International