| Summary: | This study aimed at developing a model that can facilitate the analysis of second language task-based interaction. The study used a combination of methods and technologies so that the model can enable a holistic analysis of task-based interaction. Task-based Language Teaching, multimodality, Conversation Analysis and the Tabletop technology made up the key components of the model. It is argued that the model can enable a holistic analysis of task-based interaction. The problem of analysing task-based interaction has been documented in the literature. Students' interaction in tasks is very fluid and dynamic. Previous research fails to capture in fine detail the intricacies and multimodal nature of task-based interaction. This is one reason why a holistic model is needed to portray the details of what happens in language classrooms. The study applies the model to data collected from a digital Tabletop environment. Analysis of the data shows how participants synchronise verbal and non-verbal resources using precise timing to accomplish the task. Multimodal analysis in this study can reveal the mutual interplay between verbal and non-verbal resources and how these resources are used to organise action. Analysing the data using the model also shows that participants develop unique speech exchange systems that involve a lot of non-verbal communication to accomplish tasks in the Tabletop environment. Furthermore, it is possible to apply the model to outline the main characteristics of task-based interaction. This study contributes to an emerging line of research which explores the interplay between interaction, multimodality, and technology in language classrooms. The model is a promising tool that could potentially allow researchers to unravel how learning precisely happens in task-based classrooms.
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