Introduction -- 1. Data, methodology and research questions -- 2. Topic analysis in first and second languages -- 3. L2 acquisition and interactional competence -- 4. Topic management in French L1 and L2 interactions -- 5. Topic introduction -- 6. Topic closure -- 7. Nature and development of L2 interactional competence -- 8. Conclusion(s) -- Appendix I -- Index.

"This book offers a critical examination of second language (L2) learning outside institutional contexts, with a focus on the way second language learners introduce, close, and manage conversational topics in everyday settings. König adopts a Conversation Analysis for Second Language Acquisition (CA-SLA) approach in analyzing oral data from a longitudinal study of L2 learners of French, au pairs in Swiss families, over several years. With this approach the author presents insights into the ways in which L2 learners introduce and close conversational topics in ongoing conversations and how these strategies evolve over time, setting the stage for future research on this little documented process in second language acquisition. This volume contributes toward a greater understanding of L2 learning "in the wild," making this key reading for students and researchers in second language acquisition, applied linguistics, and French language learning and teaching"--