Leveraging multimodal interactional communicative resources: a case study of Japanese and Korean beginner learners

This study examines the interactional features used by beginner language learners in scenario-based conversation tests conducted online via Zoom. Ten learners from first-semester Japanese and Korean language courses who received the lowest ratings on a speaking test rubric were selected for a case study using multimodal conversation analysis to explore whether and how interactional competence (IC) can be demonstrated in ways not captured by scoring, and to identify early signs of interactional ability, particularly in repair sequences involving word searches and understanding problems. The findings were compared with evaluative comments made by four native-speaker raters. Despite their minimal linguistic resources, learners managed repair through a range of multimodal resources deployed in turn-design, turn-taking, and sequential organisation. However, raters largely overlooked embodied conduct and interpreted it as signs of weak IC, despite its central role in beginner learners’ repair practices. These findings suggest that interactional resources, particularly the multimodal dimension, should be introduced at early stages of instruction and in assessment.