More than three decades of studies in corpus linguistics confirm that language use is composed to a great extent of prefabricated or formulaic language (Erman & Warren 2000), that is, of combinations of phrases used to convey the same message. These phrases, called ‘formulaic sequences’ (FSs) by Wray (2002) recurrently fulfill a set of communicative functions in language. This shifting perspective of the lexicon in general suggests that the teaching of a foreign (or second) language needs to focus not on individual lexical items but on these frequent sequences. A new approach is necessary to contribute to learners’ noticing of these strings of words in the input to later encourage their practice and use. Boers & Lindstromberg (2012) summarise several investigations that prove the significant impact of the explicit teaching of these units of meaning on FS acquisition over more implicit methodologies. Experimental studies like Fernández & Valcarce (2017) and Zinkgraf & Verdú (2017) point to the advantages of a Focus on Form approach to the teaching of FSs with respect to recognition and controlled and spontaneous production in groups of EFL teachers-to-be. This paper presents the objectives and procedures to explore the acquisition of FSs found in songs and legends by younger primary-school learners of English while describing the underlying principles of the pedagogical materials designed for that research experience.
]]>In-service training contributes to graduated teachers’ further development in aspects related to their everyday practice. This presentation describes the formative and summative assessment (Brown, 2004) in a free yearly course taught by research team J033 at Comahue University during 2019 for primary- and secondary-school teachers of English. The course aimed to equip participants with theoretical-practical knowledge on how to teach contextualised formulaic sequences (Wray, 2002) (FSs) through authentic songs, legends and myths, and motivate them to engage in a future pilot experience teaching formulaic language in their own EFL settings. Eleven school teachers from Río Negro and Neuquén participated in the two-module course consisting of 70 hours’ work in meetings and online participation through the university’s Moodle platform. As instances of formative assessment (Brown, 2004), group discussions in class and through virtual forums engaged teachers in the discussion of key concepts in the bibliography on FS instruction. Participants also delivered oral presentations of tasks designed for the introduction of FSs.
The formal summative assessment of this course consisted of two real-life tasks involving the implementation of central contents of the course: a) designing classroom activities to teach pre-selected formulaic sequences in their contexts and b) teaching a simulated lesson on FSs as outlined in the corresponding lesson plan. These tasks provided an insight into teachers’ grasp of the underlying principles of FS teaching (Lindstromberg and Boers, 2008) and of their application in EFL classrooms and, by extension, into the extent to which the workshops’ objectives may have been accomplished.
The analysis of the practical assignments submitted pointed to some difficulties participants encountered in complying with the tasks. Summarising the theory to justify decisions on the sequences to teach and relating this to the aims of the tasks designed were frequently found obstacles. Constructive feedback and a process-oriented approach in subsequent resubmissions contributed to a profitable evaluation process.
Formulaic sequences (FSs) are frequently encountered strings of words that typically convey specific meanings and functions and are retrieved as wholes by native speakers of a language (Wray, 2002). Research into foreign language teaching (Boers & Lindstromberg, 2012; Wood, 2015) nowadays advocates FS-focused instruction in the classroom, optimizing learners’ FL acquisition through detection, retrieval and creative use (Lindstromberg & Boers, 2008; Pellicer-Sánchez & Boers, 2019).
Our research project analyzes the effect of teaching FSs in songs and legends to EFL public primary school students with an A1 proficiency level (CEFR) and assesses FS acquisition through a battery of tests designed to measure both receptive and productive knowledge of the target sequences (Gyllstad & Schmitt, 2019). Test results serve a two-fold purpose in the teaching and the research domains: to assess the learning of FSs in children with nearly no prior EFL instruction - and none in terms of formulaic language- and to gauge the effects of an explicit, focus-on form pedagogical intervention on their learning through different task-types assessing to what degree the target sequences are recognised and/or used productively over an extended period of time (nine to ten months).
This presentation will analyse examples of different testing activity types in relation to noticing, retrieval and generative use (Lindstromberg & Boers, 2008) and the principles in test development (Hughes, 1996; Read & Nation, 2004; Lewis, 2009) to show how language research and teaching are intrinsically conjoined. This research will provide applied linguists and teachers with information on learners’ vocabulary intake at different stages, and offer insights into participants’ formulaic competence development which can feed back into the EFL classroom.
]]>Codirectora: Mg. Silvina Lizé Rodríguez
Síntesis del proyecto: Las secuencias formulaicas (Wray 2002) son cadenas de palabras con un significado único, que no depende de la suma de significados de las palabras individuales que las componen. Este proyecto tiene por objetivo general estudiar el impacto de la exposición natural y de la enseñanza explícita en la adquisición (comprensión y producción) de secuencias formulaicas (SFs) en distintos niveles de inglés como lengua extranjera en lenguaje escrito, tanto en situaciones de uso espontáneo como en actividades controladas. A tal fin, se investigará, por un lado, el efecto causado por la enseñanza de este tipo de secuencias en dos asignaturas de inglés dentro de las carreras del Profesorado y Traductorado de la Facultad de Lenguas. Se medirá la adquisición de estas unidades de vocabulario a través de una batería de tests y de producciones escritas. Por otra parte, se analizará el grado de aprendizaje implícito de estas secuencias generado a partir de material de lectura de la asignatura Didáctica Especial y Residencia I. Además, se busca caracterizar la competencia fraseológica o colocacional de alumnos universitarios de nivel avanzado de inglés por medio del análisis de un corpus de ensayos argumentativos para detectar las dificultades que este tipo de frases les presenta. Los resultados obtenidos en los distintos experimentos serán de utilidad para los docentes de todos los idiomas, tanto de nivel inicial, primario y secundario como así también universitario.
Integrantes Docentes:
Analía Castro
Gabriela Fernández
María Adela García Álvarez
María del Mar Valcarce
María Angélica Verdú
Estudiantes:
Julieta Pérez
Colaboradores:
Andrea Rodeghiero
Andrés Ibáñez
Informes Presentados
Zinkgräf, Magdalena, & Rodríguez, Silvina L. (2017). Secuencias formulaicas y su adquisición en estudiantes universitarios de Inglés como lengua extranjera. Proyecto PIN I 04/J023. Informe Final. General Roca: Facultad de Lenguas. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. VER
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