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Integrating Language and Content Teaching through Collaborative Tasks
Abstract
In French immersion programs, it is important to integrate the teaching of language and content. One way in which this can be accomplished is through the use of tasks which, using content-relevant material, encourage students to focus on language form. In this paper, tasks which engage students in collaborative writing and therefore in talking about content and the language needed to express that content, are presented. 1 present examples of collaborative dialogues between students to show how such tasks provide opportunities for second language learning because, among other things, students may externalize their (sometimes partial) knowledge, allowing them to reflect on it, revise it, and apply it.
... Metatalk is the use of language to reflect on language use (Swain, 2001), which can express declarative or procedural metalinguistic knowledge (Watson et al., 2021). It has been extensively used as a pedagogical tool in L2 and L1 learning contexts (e.g., Myhill & Newman, 2016), especially for guiding students' writing processes. ...
... Most of metatalk is metalinguistic; however, there are two main distinctions between metalanguage and metatalk: first, a great part of metatalk (e.g. comments about the impact of linguistic choices) can take place without the use of terminology (Watson et al., 2021); second, metatalk implies the creation of critical links between meaning, form and function (Swain, 2001), which is not necessarily the case of metalanguage. Metadialogue may include metalanguage, when participants in a conversation use terms and concepts related to language to discuss the structure or flow of the conversation, or when defining a term is crucial for dialogue to be productive. ...
... During the research, ER was accompanied by visual-vocabulary strategies which helped students to make meaning of new words. This claim ties well with previous studies (Agustín & Barreras, 2007;Jiang, 2014;Mashhadi & Jamalifar, 2015) and with what interactionist theorists (Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991;Swain, 1999) have stated that ER gives better results when it is combined with other activities that provide a final product, either oral or written. (2015) said. ...
... In their investigation, they concluded that children from third to twelfth grade can pick up at least 3000 words per year by reading extensively. Despite the fact that ER fosters comprehensible input, some interactionist theorists (Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991;Swain, 1999) believe that it is important but not enough. It has been suggested that ER may be combined with speaking and writing activities. ...
A vast body of literature highlights the benefits of Extensive Reading (ER) in second language acquisition (SLA). ER is a pedagogical strategy that involves reading a large number of level-appropriated and engaging texts. Its benefits have been widely documented for its effectiveness in fostering language development, principally vocabulary acquisition. This study aimed to investigate the impact of ER facilitated through a virtual library, created on Edmodo, and supplemented with visual strategies on young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ vocabulary growth. The research was conducted with 21 seventh-graders from a public primary school. A mixed-method research design was followed to systematically measure the effects of ER on young students’ vocabulary acquisition. Data collection involved administering a pretest to set a baseline of participants' vocabulary previous knowledge. At the end of the experimental phase, a posttest to assess learners’ vocabulary growth was administered. Findings revealed a considerable positive impact, with a Cohen’s d effect size of 3.35, indicating a significant improvement in participants’ vocabulary development. Results highlight the efficacy of ER as a strategy for enhancing young learners’ lexicon. Combining ER methodology with digital libraries and incorporating visual aids can address diverse learning styles and maximize language engagement. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that supports the integration of ER, technology, and visual aids into EFL teaching practices, particularly in contexts where access to physical texts might be limited. In conclusion, ER appears to be a highly effective strategy for promoting vocabulary acquisition among young EFL learners.
... i) Language is best incidentally acquired through extensive exposure via comprehensive input (Krashen, 1985) and meaningful output (Swain, 2001). Therefore, pedagogical content knowledge ( van Driel & Berry, 2010) and meaningful interactions are necessary for CBI; ii) Language and content should be acquired at the same time in contextual settings (Cummins, 2008a;Grabe & Stoller, 1997); iii) Cooperative learning, which emphasizes students' ability to work together towards a shared goal, individual rewards, and accountability, will promote effective CBI (Slavin, 2010); iv) Learning strategies, particularly reading strategies, should be integrated into specific classroom activities to develop independent learners (Grabe & Stoller, 1997); v) Appropriately demanding activities compared to students' existing knowledge and expertise will enhance students' motivation and practical learning and; ...
Content and language teaching has been widely applied in language education. The recent popularity of content and language-integrated learning (CLIL) and English-medium (EMI) courses has caused increasing research interest in exploring the relationships between language and content for an effective pedagogy. However, content and language-based teaching is elusive regarding contextual, disciplinary, and personal diversity, resulting in mixed classroom practices. Based on a questionnaire with 72 EMI lecturers, this paper explores the evolving nature of content and language teaching and how these EMI lecturers translated its teaching principles into practice. The findings revealed that most EMI lecturers perceived their dual role of supporting content and language development in EMI courses partly translated into classroom practices. Classroom activities primarily focused on lecturing, and language support strategies were integrated with content learning. The paper concludes with implications for teaching and further research.
... González-Lloret (2020) pinpointed that group tasks can be advantageous if group members participate fairly and have more time to interact, as well as the supply and agreement of feedback. Swain (2001) examined pedagogical approaches using collaborative tasks to improve students' language learning. The method let learners reflect on their language production by trying to create the meaning. ...
Based on a number of research papers about language education, student-produced video projects are beneficial and practical to improve language skills outside the classroom. Nevertheless, the use of this method in interpretation courses has yet to be widely studied in the world. Accordingly, the researchers utilized the experimental method in an interpretation course. The course had 40 seniors majoring in English for Tourism, asked to work in groups of four or five to plan and make their own video projects to practice interpreting in real-life contexts. Also, their video projects were graded as mid-term tests according to grading criteria. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to explore students’ perceptions and experiences of collaborative video projects. At the end of the course, they were invited to fill in surveys to discover their perceptions and what they could improve through this method. Furthermore, 12 of them joined online interviews to share their experiences as well as views of video projects. Based on the findings, most of the participants described collaborative video projects as new and motivating learning experiences helping develop their interpreting skills instead of studying in traditional classrooms. It was suggested that video projects should be used as a new teaching model in interpreter training.
In the last decade interactional studies have been addressing the strategies of teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) to teach impromptu vocabulary items. However, there is still a dearth of interactional studies that focus on students’ own strategies to resolve lexical issues. Since the Swedish syllabus for English calls for students to be able to use different strategies when their language is lacking, we need to know more about what skills they use and whether there are ways in which their skills can be improved. The current study thus examines students’ interactional strategies for resolving lexical gaps and other lexical issues in their collaborative writing, sometimes with recourse to digital lexical resources. It also explores the learning potentials of both collaboration and digital tools. The collection of students’ lexical strategies comes from 31 hours of video-recorded data from collaborative computer-assisted writing tasks in the EFL classroom of four Swedish upper secondary schools. The findings reveal five principal interactional strategies, three of which are unique to collaboration. Moreover, one strategy involves using digital resources by looking up lexical items in an online translation tool (e.g. Google Translate). Both collaboration and digital tools can create opportunities for learning lexis by extending access beyond individual knowledge resources. This is particularly so when it comes to students’ lexical gaps. Moreover, training students to develop different strategies when using online translation tools should be particularly beneficial for both collaborative and individual writing.
This study utilized a mixed-methods approach to implement a mobile-based dynamic assessment of Iranian EFL learners’ disagreement speech act performance.
This study examined how collaborative online writing using Wikis affected Iranian intermediate EFL learners' writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency. The language proficiency of 75 EFL learners was gauged based on their performance on the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). They were intermediate male and female EFL learners studying English at three language institutes in Shahrekord, Iran. The participants were then split into two groups at random: a Wiki group (WG) and a control group (CG). Afterward, learners in the control and experimental groups were given a cause-and-effect prompt as a pre-test, and their writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency were assessed using CAF measures. Following the pre-test, the participants in the experimental group began a six-week training period in the collaborative environment of Wiki. The same instructional materials and procedures were presented to the control group but in a non-collaborative, face-to-face setting. Similar to the writing pre-test, a writing post-test was given to both groups at the end of the intervention, and the writings were graded. In comparison to the conventional methodology, the results obtained revealed that the instructional method via Wiki was advantageous and effective in enhancing writing skills. This result is consistent with theories supporting technology-based approaches in EFL writing settings. The main outcome of this research is that the ease and viability of teaching and learning writing are significantly and meaningfully influenced by giving learners control over their learning through Wiki. In fact, by fostering a culture of cooperation and collaboration to write development, EFL teachers can help students improve their writing skills by using Wikis.
This article proposes a conceptual framework for the integration of language and content teaching in second and foreign language classrooms. In this model, language and content teachers work collaboratively to determine language-teaching objectives. These objectives derive from two considerations: (a) content-obligatory language (language essential to an understanding of content material) and (b) content-compatible language (language that can be taught naturally within the context of a particular subject matter and that students require additional practice with). The conceptual framework is illustrated in four instructional settings—the mainstream class, the ESL class, the foreign language immersion class, and the FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) class. General implications for the integration of language and content teaching are also discussed.
This article provides support for a theoretical orientation toward viewing dialogue as both a means of communication and a cognitive tool. Data to support this position come from an analysis of the language‐related episodes isolated in the dialogue of two grade 8 French immersion students as they carry out a jigsaw task. During the task, the students work out a story line and write it out. As they do so, they encounter linguistic problems. To solve them, the students use their first language (L1) and second language (L2) in order to communicate to each other and as tools to aid their L2 learning. The language‐related episodes discussed provide evidence of language use as both an enactment of mental processes and as an occasion for L2 learning. Variation in how other pairs of students in the class perform the task supports existing evidence that the same task does not provide similar occasions for L2 learning to all student dyads.
This paper analyses the immersion system of education that has now been practised in Canada for over 25 years. It first describes the immersion system, examining findings from evaluation and research, and then provides a retrospective account of how immersion education in Canada has progressed from its original format to its present status. This development is analysed in terms of a cycle which has been guided by the interplay between theoretical understanding of classroom second language acquisition and actual classroom practice.
This paper argues, and provides data to support the argument, that in producing an L2 learners will on occasion become aware of (i.e. notice) a linguistic problem. Noticing a problem can 'push' learners to modify their output. In doing so, learners may sometimes be forced into a move syntactic processing mode than might occur in comprehension. Thus, output sets 'noticing' in train, triggering mental processes that lead to modified output. What goes on between the original output and its reprocessed form, it is suggested, is part of the process of second language learning.
As a person who has been actively involved in research in French immersion education for approximately two decades, I am frequently told "immersion anecdotes" which often serve to provide a possible explanation for our research results. I wish now that I had kept a file of those anecdotes: They have been rich in description and detail, and are unique for the insights they contribute into the second language learning process. These anecdotes have come from parents, teachers and learners. It has been especially the anecdotes of the immersion learners themselves which have provided much of the stimulus for my own thinking about "the output hypothesis." This brief paper outlines some of that thinking and some of the implications it has for immersion pedagogy in particular, and second language learning in general.