Book clubs in the ESL classroom: a microinteractional analysis of literacy development in adult ESL students

Sharon E. Johnson
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:51:31 PDT

This study uses conversation analysis to identify literacy development in adult ESL classroom book club discussions. The investigation focuses on the interactions of three university students participating in a six-week book club about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The longitudinal microethnographic analysis reveals the students' development of interactional routines for enacting topic transitions. Two student strategies are examined: (a) the development of a group routine for reading discussion questions aloud; and (b) the use of the transition markers okay and next. The students' establishment of these strategies during the six meetings provides evidence of literacy development during classroom book club discussions. Additionally, the research adds to the currently small corpus of conversation analysis book club studies. Full transcripts for the six book club meetings are also provided.