This is a detailed study of understanding in a second language, related to the actual lives of minority workers. The focus is on everyday interactions between these workers and the bureaucrats of the society in which they are now resident. It provides an important contribution to the debate about the function of language as a social practice, adding a new perspective to the psycholinguistic and experimental paradigms, currently existing in second language acquisition research.

Katharina Bremer, Celia Roberts, Marie-Therese Vasseur, Margaret Simnot, Peter Broder

1. Background to the understanding project
2. A social perspective on understanding: some issues of theory and method
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Identifying understanding and problems of understanding
2.2 Understanding and interaction
2.3 Understanding and context
2.4 Data analysis
2.5 Issues of variability
3. Causes of understanding problems
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Understanding problems triggered by a single, identifiable element
3.2 Understanding problems caused by relative degree of difficulty
3.3 Understanding problems caused by indirectness and implicit discourse norms
4. Managing understanding from a minority perspective
4.0 Introduction
4.1 The types of problems with understanding
4.2 Options the minority interactant can take: avoiding or indicating the problem with understanding
4.3 Managing procedures for indicating non-understanding
4.4 Face and the management of understanding
4.5 Potential for learning
4.6 Conclusion
5. Case studies
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Berta (Spanish-French)
5.2 Tino (Italian-German)
5.3 Ergun (Turkish-Dutch)
5.4 Santo (Italian-English)
6. Preventing problems of understanding
6.0 Introduction
6.1 Some options to prevent non-understanding
6.2 Resolving of ignoring problems of understanding: the interviewer's point of view
7. Joint negotiation of understanding: procedures for managing problems of understanding
7.0 Introduction
7.1 Classification following unspecific indication or 'symptoms' of non-understanding
7.2 Classification following specific indication: explication of lexical meaning
7.3 Maximal use of procedures-an example
8. Taking stock: contexts and reflections
8.0 Introduction
8.1 Facing upto our methods
8.2 Social and discoursal perspective on second language development
8.3 A critical perspective
8.4 Context and contextualisation
8.5 Institutional discourse
8.6 Some practical implications
Appendices, References, Index