Interactions langagières : entre perception par les apprenants et analyse de corpus par les chercheurs

Abstract

Several studies on Acquisition Tasks in text (chat) or face-to-face synchronous communication have indicated that information gap tasks (for example jigsaw or decision making tasks) could contribute to second language acquisition. The aim of the present experimental study was to analyse the communicative interactions in different information gap tasks carried out by pairs of learners in a French as a foreign language classes, and to study the participants’ perception of the effect of those tasks as a factor contributing to their language acquisition. The learners performed three types of task in the two modalities of synchronous communication studied (chat and face-to-face): 1) finding differences between two pictures that seem identical; 2) solving an enigma; 3) relating a scene of a movie while watching. We completed our data collection with two questionnaires aimed at evaluating: 1) the participants' level of French; 2) their personal attitude toward the tasks (in particular their opinion on the usefulness of the tasks and their motivational impact). We will present the theoretical background for this study and our overall results. We will also raise the question of the methodological difficulties that are faced when trying to determine if tasks have effectively triggered the learning process, and briefly discuss the insufficiencies of an approach that uses pre- and post-tests.

Keywords

• interaction
• synchronous communication
• negotiating interaction
• corrective feedback