The Transformation of Timing: How Digital Environments Reshape Welsh L2 Learner-Tutor Interaction

Patterns of silence between conversational turns reflect not only cognitive processes related to language production, but they hold social meaning. Research shows that brief gaps are generally preferred across languages, whereas extended pauses can index discomfort or reduced rapport (Templeton et al., 2022).
Studies suggest that videoconference platforms can lengthen inter-turn silences and increase overlaps or interruptions (Boland et al., 2022). This may have consequences for second-language (L2) learning, where temporal fluency and interactional confidence are central pedagogic aims.
This issue is salient in Wales where virtual provision accounts for 43% of enrolments at the National Centre for Learning Welsh (2025). This exploratory study examines how temporal conversational patterns differ between online and face-to-face Welsh learner-tutor interactions, and how these differences affect learning experiences and learner accuracy.
Using a within-participant design, B1-C1 Welsh learners completed two semi-structured conversations with the same tutor: one in person and one via Microsoft Teams, with order counterbalanced. Each session included 20 yes/no questions normed for lexical and structural predictability, followed by a 2-minute open ended discussion. Pre- and post-conversation questionnaires recorded motivation, anxiety, and perceived communicative competence. Recordings were annotated using ELAN where inter-turn silences manually segmented and yes/no responses were coded for morphological accuracy.
Preliminary data (N=15) show clear temporal contrasts across modalities. Learners produced significantly longer response latencies online (mean 2901ms) than in person (mean 2144ms), even when considering minimal transmission delays (0-20ms). Accuracy was slightly higher online (84%) than face-to-face (76%),
though not significantly. Nevertheless, perceived communicative competence was significantly lower online (p=.15). Little difference was found between motivation and anxiety. This suggests that extended online response latencies may undermine learners’ sense of fluency, yet the additional planning time may simultaneously support more accurate production. This highlights implications
for L2 pedagogy and Welsh-medium language policy as online learning continues to expand