MEANING NEGOTIATION AND COMMUNICATION REPAIR IN ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA: A CORPUS-BASED ANALYSIS OF UZBEK SCHOLARS’ INTERACTIONS

Abstract

This article outlines a corpus-based approach to examining meaning negotiation and communication repair in Uzbek scholars’ English as a lingua franca interaction within international academic settings. It focuses on how participants identify understanding problems, request clarification, reformulate contributions, and establish sufficient shared understanding to continue an exchange. The proposed framework combines corpus-assisted analysis with sequential examination of spoken interaction, treating repair as a collaborative communicative practice rather than simply the correction of linguistic errors. Relevant settings include conference discussions, research meetings, and academic seminars involving participants with different linguistic backgrounds. Particular attention is given to clarification requests, confirmation checks, repetition, paraphrase, and explanations of disciplinary terminology. The framework also considers how academic roles, disciplinary knowledge, and interactional circumstances shape opportunities for negotiation. As no empirical corpus has been supplied, the article presents a research design and analytical framework rather than verified findings about Uzbek scholars. Its pedagogical relevance lies in identifying how authentic academic interaction could inform English-language preparation that develops clarification, reformulation, and collaborative understanding alongside grammatical competence.