This paper focuses on the initial findings of an ongoing qualitative case study of three teachers and three classes of second year secondary L2 German learners. The study of teacher-learner interaction takes socio-cultural theory as its main point of departure, drawing on the tenets of a SCT-based dialogic teaching approach to design an intervention programme of teacher talk and behaviour strategies to promote higher levels of learner L2 output. In light of much classroom interaction research which suggests that the dominant patterns of classroom discourse may not allow learners the interactive space to develop their oral output in an optimum way, a primary aim of the intervention programme was to subvert the dominant IRE/F pattern of classroom discourse. (Contains 3 tables.)