For a long time, classroom interaction was regarded as too messy to study in details – primarily due to the number of participants who (normally) inhabit the traditional classroom. As a consequence, classroom research was primarily investigated as a two party interaction – the teacher and the students. Although this may certainly be true at times it does not accurately describe the heterogeneity of the social organization of classrooms and classroom activities.

My contribution to classroom research (and second language pedagogy) consists primarily in describing the ways in which teachers facilitate student participation. And in particular the ways in which the teacher’s management of the classrooms and pedagogical activities provides students with different opportunities for participation.