Contrasting Private Speech and Collaborative Dialogue: A Multiple Case Study of Languaging Patterns Among Indonesian University EFL Learners

To provide a better learning experience that allows learners to become active participants in their learning journey, this study introduces languaging (Swain, 2006) to an Indonesian classroom. Using Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (SCT) as the backdrop and Martin and Rose’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), this multiple case study contrasted the cognitive processing of two female dyads with asymmetrical and symmetrical proficiency during collaborative dialogue and private speech tasks. The analysis revealed that Reasoning (R) and Confirming (C) were the most dominant languaging types, with symmetric pairs achieving more balanced roles and more fluid Primary Knower moves. In conclusion, while peer dynamics and proficiency configuration significantly shape collaborative interaction, individual private speech remains an essential autonomous tool for self-regulation, highlighting the distinct pedagogical value of both tasks in EFL classrooms.