Approches interactionnistes de l?acquisition des langues étrangères: concepts, recherches, perspectives

The introductory paper to this volume presents an overview of social-interactionist approaches to second language learning. A brief sketch of the historical development of this line of research, its basic theoretical assumptions as well as its fields of study and results are presented and future perspectives are discussed. It is suggested that, while interactionist studies share an understanding of the workings of social interaction (including methodological implications) and its constitutive role in language learning, they are far from forming a unified 'school' ; this openness of the field has proven to provide a rich ground for investigations and leads up to a number of intriguing questions yet to be explored. (Key words : L2 learning, social interaction, L2 research, interactionist approach)