Number 9, 2016 Second Language Pedagogies: From Theory to Practice La didactique des langues secondes : de la théorie à la pratique

EN:

Foreign language didactics is a field which, notwithstanding the many centuries of application and development, is still very methodologically problematic. Statistics clearly show that, in certain countries, the educational system provides foreign language instruction that is not apt and does not deliver effective linguistic competence; a few methods, however, have been developed to contravene this problem. In the specific case of Italy, a country which is renowned for its general monolingualism, Associazione Culturale Linguistica Educational (ACLE) has developed an innovative language teaching method (Rational, Emotional, Affective Learning) to attempt to fill the lacunae of the Italian school system, especially in regards to the teaching of English as a foreign language. This paper seeks to briefly outline the REAL method and its applications, describe its affinity to didactic and cognitive theories, and speculate on its potential effectiveness.

EN:

Research examining the effectiveness of using peer evaluation as a pedagogical tool in higher education is quickly emerging. Perceptions of such assessments, however, continue to vary among students and educators alike. This paper serves as a review of recent studies that center on peer evaluation, and highlights the positive and negative aspects of such assessments. Following a discussion of current investigations, researchers’ collective findings are aligned with the parameters outlined in the CRGG-C framework, an infrastructure that is designed to capitalize on the benefits of peer evaluation (see Massery 2013), while also addressing some of the negative characteristics identified in the literature.

EN:

What once began as experimental has now become a trend whereby large classes (50 students or more) are the norm. Language classes, where a small student body is ever more preferred, is also part of the same growing movement. Literature tells us, however, that students feel the larger the size of the class, the more negatively it will affect their ability to learn; yet, universities are reluctant to provide the small classes that are essential for an effective and organic learning environment.

 The following paper provides readers with 1. a brief summary of the research conducted on the effectiveness or otherwise of large classes; 2. practices that the authors have found to be most effective for the successful delivery of a large language class - practices which can also be implemented in lectures with fewer students.

FR:

Cet article décrit un nouveau cours universitaire de français oral L2 et tente d’en justifier la méthode et le corpus. Ayant relevé certains achoppements de l’enseignement de l’oral par les méthodes didactiques contemporaines, l’auteur propose de reconnaître la nature seconde (W. Ong) et performancielle (P. Zumthor) d’une oralité plus littéraire, cultivée par ce cours dont l’objectif est de travailler particulièrement l’accent et la phonostylistique. Différents types de performances à haute voix y mettent en valeur des textes tirés de romans, poésies, contes, discours, dialogues de films. En devoirs, les étudiants les partagent en ligne, puis leurs performances sont évaluées et commentées en mode asynchrone ; le temps de classe sert à des ateliers d’écoute, d’orthoépie et de phonostylistique. L’auteur fournit en exemple la consigne décrivant un devoir de « Commentaire en voix hors champ ».

FR:

La littérature jeunesse est riche d’albums qui, dans une perspective d’éducation inclusive, permettent d’aborder la diversité linguistique et culturelle et d’amener les élèves à développer leurs capacités d’interactions orales et leur pensée critique face à des thématiques sensibles telle que le vivre-ensemble, les différences, le rejet, le racisme. Également, les livres bilingues, comme plus largement les approches plurielles des langues, favorisent la reconnaissance du bagage linguistique des élèves allophones et plus largement l’ouverture à la diversité chez tous les élèves.