Mediation-in-interaction in computer-enhanced non-formal contexts for learning English

In recent years, there has been increased interest in how mediation plays out in plurilingual and multimodal language teaching and learning. The study of plurilingual and multimodal interactional practices by adolescents engaged in pedagogical tasks must take into account the impact of technology on learning environments. How technology mediates communication among students and between students and teachers is of particular interest. In this chapter, we present research carried out in computer-mediated, non-formal contexts for learning English with secondary school students in Catalonia. We examine learners’ uses of linguistic and other resources to engage in cognitive and relational mediation activities. In addition, we focus on the role of teachers, peers, and computers as “actors” in the mediation process. By taking a socio-interactionist approach to the data, we contribute to empirical and practical understandings of mediation as it unfolds in talk-in-interaction in non-formal, computer-enhanced language learning spaces. The analysis reveals processes of linguistic, cognitive, and relational mediation, while the role given to the computer varies across the data and is contingent on the goal-directed interactional actions participants perform.