ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the emergence of classroom discourse research as a field of study, the major issues addressed, how the field has developed over time, its future development and the challenges it faces. The paradigm shift in theories of learning and its impact on classroom discourse research is highlighted. The term ‘classroom discourse’, as used in the chapter, encompasses linguistic as well as non-linguistic elements of discourse that occur in the classroom. The discussion focuses on second language (L2) and foreign language (FL) classroom research, and makes reference to first language (L1) classroom research only when it impacts on the latter.
