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Abstract
The use of technology-mediated L2 learning programs has steadily increased. The need for longitudinal research into what transpires during such interactions, as well as the programs’ effectiveness over time, has become truly significant. This longitudinal study examines the naturally occurring phenomenon of multi-layered technological spaces and sub-spaces in translanguaging practices within e-tandem language learning over a period of eight weeks. Specifically, it investigates a program involving one-on-one interactional sessions between a British university student learning Japanese in the U.K. and a Japanese university student learning English in Japan. Employing a multimodal conversation analysis (MCA) approach, the study focuses on how participants achieve meaning-making, meaning-conveyance, and mutual understanding by employing translanguaging and multimodality as well as leveraging digital platforms and technological resources. Microanalysis is performed of their Zoom conversations with available technologies, including Zoom’s chat box, smartphones, and social media. In particular, they naturally and exhaustively generated these digital interactional spaces to convey meaning and ensure mutual comprehension whenever clarification, visual representation, or repair was needed. This qualitative study thus illuminates the multi-layered practices through which learners interact on a primary remote platform using conventional multimodality, while gradually opening and expanding parallel side spaces via multiple technological tools to manage their communication. The findings offer theoretical and practical implications that highlight the study’s significance for L2 educators and researchers.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Junko Takahashi, Seiko Harumi (Author)