Blurb:

Systemic-functional linguistic (SFL) theory has had little to say on learning languages other than the mother tongue. In this chapter the tape recorded conversations of five Japanese as an additional language learners are investigated. Issues regarding errors and the development of a Japanese meaning potential are raised. All five informants were audio taped while interacting in Japanese with a Japanese national as part of a larger project concerning their cross-cultural adaptation. They were asked to have three ‘conversations’ following a set of guidelines or prompts. Using these data, it may be possible to begin a discussion on how SFL theory can contribute to the socio-cultural theory of second language acquisition.