Which best reflects the social interactionist perspective in ESL teaching?

The social interactionist perspective emphasizes the role of social interaction in language development and learning. In ESL teaching, this perspective highlights the importance of engaging students in active communication with others, which helps them construct their understanding of the language. Encouraging negotiation of meaning through active communication facilitates collaboration between learners, allowing them to express their thoughts, clarify misunderstandings, and build language skills together. This interaction is crucial for developing proficiency, as it mirrors natural language use in real-life contexts and promotes deeper cognitive engagement with the language.

In contrast, other options focus on individual learning strategies or tools that may not center on interaction. Modeling think-aloud techniques, while supportive in developing metacognitive strategies, does not inherently involve negotiation or interaction between learners. Creating activities using physical reactions can stimulate engagement but may lack the direct conversational component that enriches language learning. Implementing computer programs for grammar exercises focuses on mechanics rather than the social aspect of learning language, which is a cornerstone of the social interactionist approach. Therefore, the best reflection of the social interactionist perspective in ESL teaching is indeed the encouragement of negotiation of meaning through active communication.