This case study explores the advantages of using conversation analysis as a method to analyze aspects of social interaction, specifically in second language (L2) classroom environments. After discussing some practical benefits of analyzing interactions from my own language lessons, I focus on the process of socially shared cognition to discuss how participants (my students and I) cooperate to create an interactive space less constrained by school institutional norms. The extracts I provide as examples of this cooperation show how classroom normative rules and positions were challenged and redefined by participants, who reorganized the interaction according to their needs. In addition, some general principles of L2 classroom interactions are presented and discussed based on the data generated for this study.