Congresos y Jornadas Didáctica de las lenguas y las literaturas. | Page 414

of Brazil. Natalie uses the electronic dictionary to assist her in explaining to her partner that although the fruit is edible, it has thorns around the stone, which makes it difficult to eat. Example (4) Interaction via Openmeetings—September 4th, 2010 Natalie: And have you ever known about ‘pequi’? Teego: ‘Pequi’? No. Natalie: It is a typical food here in Goiás, in Goiânia… and all the State of Goiás, is very good. Teego: But what is it… what is it like? Natalie: Is? Teego: What is it like? What is it, actually? Natalie: It is, it is for you have lunch, when you almoça, have lunch. It is uhmm… salt, but it has… (She checks in the dictionary the word ‘espinhos’ in English). I don’t know the pronunciation, but I think is ‘thorns’. Natalie: [Chat] thorns Teego: ‘Thorns’? Natalie: With… Teego: Like in a rose, like the flower of a rose? It’s ‘thorns’, as well as, … I think. Yep. Can you write the really name for the ‘pequi’? Natalie: [Chat] espinhos. Teego: ‘Espinhos’? Natalie: ‘Espinhos’ is ‘thorns’. How can you pronounce this word? Natalie: [Chat] Pequi. Teego: Pequi. Teego: ‘Thorns’. Natalie: ‘Thorns’, it is. ‘Pequi’ has ‘thorns’. Teego: Ok. Natalie: So, you have to take care with it. Teego: Ok This example shows that there is an alternation in the assistance the participants give to each other. According to Figueiredo (2006) and Vassallo and Telles (2009), this change of roles is quite common in the context of collaborative learning. In Example (5), the term “quality” arises when Natalie and Teego are talking about a tourist town in the state of Goiás called Caldas Novas. This town is mainly visited by old people because of the thermal groundwater present there which is considered therapeutic. Natalie was trying to express the idea that the improvement in quality of life has contrib- uted to the longevity of the Brazilians when she realizes that she does not know exactly how to say in English the word “qualidade” (quality). She elaborates the hypothesis that this word would be “quality”. However, she uses the word “qualidade” in Portuguese to check the accuracy of the term in the English language. Teego confirms her hypothesis, thus solving her doubt. Example (5) Interaction via Openmeetings—August 26th, 2010 Natalie: I think that is not so many old people like in Germany, but some, the last ten, five years, the people that is sixties, seventies grow up here, because the… I’m thinking the word in English… the ‘quality’ of life. 1179