Talking foreign language study into being

Macquarie University
Department of Education
‘Talking foreign language study into being’:pedagogical interaction in a Year 8 French language classroom
by
Signe Ernist
10 July 2009

Overview of the Presentation
About me, the presenter (Introduction)
Why I am doing it (Rationale)
What is my research about (Topic and aims)
What have others said (Previous research)
How I am doing it (Theory and Methodology)
What I am working on at present
10 July 2009
Signe Ernist Macquarie University
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About me, the presenter: Introduction
Philologist (philo+ logos)
Estonia, University of Tartu
Teaching French and other languages (K-uni)
In Australia since 2004
Dip Ed in Macquarie University 2007
PhD in MQ and French/ESL in KHHS
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Why I am doing it: Rationale
Languages teaching in Estonia
Humanist socio-cultural view (Heidegger, Vygotsky)
Second language acquisition in educational context should be continuous and meaningful (Clyne, Lo Bianco, Liddicoat)
Languages teaching in Australia: crisis (Clyne)
Solution offered by experts: introduction of compulsory language study throughout (at least) the secondary schooling years = uphill battle
Present state of affairs in NSW government schools: how to make the most of it
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What is my research about: Topic
Students tend to drop languages study in Year 9 after completing the 100 compulsory hours (NSW) 
Subject selection: decisions depend on experiences in Year 8 
Classroom interaction: communication between teacher and students / students and students influencing the decision to continue languages study in Year 9 
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Topic

How is classroom talk used by teacher and students to create the commonly understood learning
How does classroom talk influence students decision to continue or discontinue languages study in Year 9

how? (pragmatics) instead of what?
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What I want to achieve: Aims
Greater awareness on how classroom talk influences student selection of French as an elective subject in the transition from Year 8 to Year 9
Insights on the effective use of classroom talk in Year 8 language classroom with an aim to engage learners to continue language study throughout high school
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What have others said: Previous research
Language policies
Lo Bianco: National Policy on Languages (1987)
Australian Languages and Literacy Policy (1991)
NALSAS Strategy Plan (1994)
The School Languages Programme 2005-2008
Language learning and teaching in NSW
No policy
100 mandatory hours (Board of Studies NSW)
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Research – main concerns
Clyne
Liddicoat
Lo Bianco
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Factors influencing subject selection
Macro level - policy
Micro level – teacher/student dependent
 Are these factors addressed in classroom talk? How are they treated? How does this influence subject selection?
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How I am doing it: theory and methodology
Ethnomethodology
researches the ways in which people interact to create social orderliness through mundane everyday practices (Garfinkel, 1967; Heritage, 1984; Freebody, 2003)
Conversation Analysis
most conducive inquiry method for investigating the interactional organisation of language classrooms in order to develop an understanding of how the pedagogical intentions are implemented (Seedhouse, 2005)
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Conversation Analysis (CA)

CA: how the use of language in interaction allows members of society to create their commonly understood existence (Seedhouse, 2004)
Talk in interaction is systematically organised, deeply ordered and methodic (Harvey Sacks)

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Principles:
Interaction has order at all points
Interaction is context-shaped and context-renewing
Order of details is paramount
Analysis is data driven
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Analysis:
Adjacency pairs (paired utterances)
Preference organisation
Turn taking
Repair
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What I am working on at present
Institutional talk  goal (Seedhouse, 2004)
Asymmetries of participation and know-how
Genuine communication ≠ communicative approach
CA as a useful tool for both researchers and teachers in classroom interaction
Possible mismatch between task-as-workplan and task-in-process (Seedhouse, 2004)
Pedagogically undesirable negative evaluation creating problems on interactional level
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"Those who know no foreign language know nothing of their mother tongue.“Goethe
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Selected references
Clyne, M. (2005). Australia's Language Potential. Sydney: UNSW PRESS.
Curnow, T. J., & Kohler, M. (2007). Languages are important: but that's not why I am studying one. Babel, 42(2), 20-24,38.
Heritage, J. (1984). Garfinkel and Ethnomethodology. Oxford: Polity Press.
Liddicoat, A. J., Scarino, A., Curnow, T. J., Kohler, M., Scrimgeour, A. & Morgan, A.-M. (2007). An Investigation of the State and Nature of Languages in Australian Schools. Canberra: DEST.
Lo Bianco, J. (2006). Arguing for Perspective in LOTE: Reflections on public debate, language and the public interest. Languages Victoria, 10(1), 16-29.
Seedhouse, P. (2004). The interactional architecture of the language classroom: a conversation analysis perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.
Seedhouse, P. (2005). Conversation Analysis and language learning. Language Teaching, 38, 1-23.
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