The verbal participation of learners in language classrooms offers a rich seam of data to the applied linguist. Overt and covert participation, when examined, can reveal both the structures of a classroom and elicit privileged information on participant's self-perceptions. It examines the verbal participation of learners in Japanese as a Foreign Language classrooms. Verbal interactions with teachers and classmates and 'private' speech acts are examined in relation to the classroom context and also sociocultural factors such as the learner's motivation and the teacher's belief in their own methods.
The examination of corrective feedback episodes and learners' private speech uses recorded speech and stimulated recall interviews recorded over the period of a year. The main focus is on Corrective Feedback episodes, and explains not only the language used in class but also teacher's and learner's own perceptions. It will be of interest to researchers in applied linguistics and second language acquisition, especially those involved with Japanese as a second or other language.