What happens when usage-based teaching does not seem to apply.: Teaching theoretical linguistics through action and interaction
Fiche du document
19 avril 2017
- handle: 10670/1.k9jlhq
- hal: hal-01515384
Mots-clés
Task-based teaching Task-based learning Second language acquisition and learning Agency Instructed SLA CLIL ESP teachingSujets proches
Schoolteaching Didactics School teaching Pedagogy InstructionCiter ce document
Hélène Josse et al., « What happens when usage-based teaching does not seem to apply.: Teaching theoretical linguistics through action and interaction », HAL-SHS : sciences de l'éducation, ID : 10670/1.k9jlhq
Métriques
Partage / Export
Résumé
Cognitive linguistics and its applications to pedagogy in second-language learning are now widely accepted : it isargued that real language use shapes linguistic forms (Tyler 2010) and emphasis is put on the communicativedimension of language. Hence, real-life situations and task-based activities have been favored both in primary andsecondary schools in France (Tardieu 2008) and are making their ways into universities (Berthiaume 2013).This poses no difficulty in a TESOL environment when the expected learning outcome is the acquisition of a newlanguage. But what happens when the subject of study is theoretical linguistics, i.e. the study of language itself andnot a communication tool? Does the task-based approach apply, as it is difficult to imagine a real-life situation inwhich learners would have to conduct a linguistic analysis?Our contention is that a task-based approach can and should be integrated into theoretical linguistics courses.Our study is based on an experiment held over 2 semesters at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University (Paris) on 400French speaking second-year English majors. The 10 instructors used various approaches ranging from top-downteaching methods (teacher fronted presentations, with or without a slide show) to task-based activities (includinggames) during which students were expected to provide key notions by themselves, or through interaction with theirfellow students.The students were tested on their mastery of linguistics at the end of the course and asked to fill out a feedbackform.Our results did not show better mastery of the subject by the experimental task-based group. However, studentsfrom this group showed significantly more interest in the subject of study and more eagerness to learn.